By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – The Trump administration is moving the FBI’s headquarters from its crumbling building on Pennsylvania Avenue to the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, a relocation federal officials say will save money and improve working conditions for the bureau’s employees.
The U.S. General Services Administration announced the move Tuesday, saying it will avoid more than $300 million in deferred maintenance costs while supporting the FBI’s security and operational needs.
The Hoover Building has been in disrepair for years, with issues ranging from outdated wiring and an aging water system to pieces of concrete falling off the structure, prompting a long search for a replacement, according to General Services.
FBI Director Kash Patel called the move “a historic moment” for the agency, describing the Reagan Building as a practical, cost-effective way to keep the bureau operating while avoiding the delays and high price tag of building a new campus from scratch.
General Services officials said the relocation also aligns with the administration’s broader push to reduce the federal government’s real estate footprint and modernize workspaces.
Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine criticized the plan, calling it a rushed decision that ignores years of bipartisan planning for a secure, purpose-built headquarters to fully support the FBI’s mission. They said the move raises concerns about security and operational readiness while showing a lack of commitment to the federal workforce.
“The law enforcement and intelligence professionals of the FBI deserve more than a hasty, improvised approach,” Warner and Kaine said in a joint statement.
Maryland leaders also pushed back on the move, saying it undermines congressional intent and years of planning that selected Greenbelt as the new FBI headquarters site after what they described as an “extensive, thorough, and transparent process.”
In a joint statement, they said redirecting funds away from a purpose-built Maryland campus to a D.C. location fails to meet the FBI’s security and mission needs and “deals a blow to the men and women of the FBI.” They warned that simply moving the headquarters down the street “would ignore the real threats the bureau faces and further jeopardize the safety of those protecting our communities,” pledging to fight the proposal “with every tool we have.”
For years, Virginia and Maryland have competed to host a new FBI headquarters, with a proposed site in Springfield, Va., and locations in Prince George’s County, Maryland, under consideration.
Repeated delays and funding disputes have stalled any construction, leaving the current building’s replacement in limbo.
The Trump administration’s choice to shift the FBI to the Reagan Building puts those plans on hold for now. General Services officials said they will work with the FBI to ensure a smooth transition in the coming months.
