Battle over new FBI headquarters location gets heated between Maryland and Virginia leaders

GREENBELT, Md. (DC News Now) — The battle over the FBI’s new headquarters is heating up between Maryland and Virginia. Proximity, transportation access and equity are some of the criteria.

“We are proud here in Fairfax County to have every single infrastructure asset and human asset necessary to make this enormously successful for the FBI and their employees,” said Chairman for Fairfax County Jeff McKay during a press conference on Wednesday.

Prince George’s County leaders spoke out after Virginia’s renewed push for Springfield to be the FBI’s new home.

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said Maryland is the better option and the process needs to fair and open.

“The fact of the matter is — Prince George’s County has a better dollar value for the taxpayer. We believe that our site is about $250 to $500 million cheaper than the Virginia site. We also know that our site is proximate to metro and to transportation, which has been one of the criteria that we’ve been operating under over the last 10 years was the cost, transportation, environmental factors,” Alsobrooks said to DC News Now on Thursday.

After nearly a decade of conversation between Maryland and FBI leaders, a sudden change in criteria made proximity to the FBI academy in Quantico a top priority in September of last year.

“Springfield, as you have heard, is in prime proximity to other FBI assets that will help support its mission. Springfield is half the distance to Quantico versus Greenbelt and over 40% closer versus Landover,” said Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Alsobrooks said she was disappointed in the criteria change taking place just months before the final decision is made.

“This is a site that has nothing whatsoever to do with the core daily. functions of the FBI. If that were so then we would have seen the current director of the FBI who said he preferred the site would be in DC, which is 42 miles from Quantico. So that says to us that it’s obviously not critical to the mission or else you would want it to be closer to Quantico,” said Alsobrooks.

“There’s nothing fair about it. It’s not about me expressing frustration but more that I feel that I want to make sure that Maryland is given a fair shake and that Prince George’s County is given a fair shake in this process,” she continued.

In terms of opportunities, transportation access and cost equity, she said she believes the Greenbelt or Landover site will be a better choice.

“Out of the top 150 jurisdictions of counties across the country [Fairfax County] is listed as number two, in terms of its ability to grow wealth, and to grow its income. Prince George’s County is 142 on that list out of 150 jurisdictions. So if we’re looking at what is equitable, and by equitable, we mean what gives the best chance for us to grow our economy and to grow well for people in Maryland, then Maryland is the better site,” said Alsobrooks.

On Thursday President Biden signed an executive order to address racial inequality. The order will address systemic barriers that hold communities of color back from prospering.

“President Biden today again, re-emphasized the fact that his administration would use equity as one of the criteria. And this was the first executive order that he signed in our case, equity means we have 30,000 federal office jobs in Prince George’s County,” said Alsobrooks.

“The President has said he desires to create more equal chances for jurisdictions to grow their economies and to benefit from the policies of the federal government that would help us to create jobs and create opportunities for jurisdictions like ours. So we believe that Maryland is the appropriate site,” she continued.

The FBI is still in the process of making their decision, which is expected to happen in the next few months.