VA Officials Reiterate Support For Springfield As New Site For FBI HQ

SPRINGFIELD, VA — Virginia officials emphasized that the proposed Springfield site for the new Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters remains the best location under the adjusted selection criteria recently announced by the General Services Administration.

In their July 21 letter to the GSA and FBI, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and the Virginia congressional delegation highlighted Springfield’s proximity to Quantico and other law enforcement and national security assets, the region’s robust transportation network, and ways the site would save money for the federal government and taxpayers as reasons for the federal government to choose Springfield.

The officials also emphasized that selecting the Springfield site would advance equity, support underserved communities, and help address inequities that exist in the region.

"While we are concerned that the recent changes to the criteria will further delay what has already been a drawn-out, decade-long process to select a new site to replace the dilapidated headquarters downtown, we remain confident that Virginia continues to be a home run in every category," the election officials said. "We urge for a fair, fact-based analysis of the critical attributes outlined throughout this project, and we encourage you to draw this process to a close, sooner rather than later."

By choosing the Springfield site, the federal government would be showing a “strong commitment to advancing equity in local communities and promoting sustainable siting,” the officials wrote in the letter. The site also has “a substantial cost benefit, with Virginia’s strong commitment to making this a responsible choice for the taxpayer” because the federal government already owns the site, the officials wrote.

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On July 14, the GSA announced it had updated the site selection plan for the new FBI headquarters site to increase the consideration of cost to taxpayers and to reflect the Biden administration’s commitment to sustainability and equity.

The three final sites under review — the Springfield location, plus sites in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Landover, Maryland — were selected in 2014 by the GSA.

In a separate letter sent to the GSA on Monday, the Alexandria NAACP, All Dulles Area Muslim Society Interfaith & Government Committee, Asian American Chamber of Commerce, Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce, Northern Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Northern Virginia Urban League, Prince William NAACP, and Prince William Omega Psi Phi Fraternity said choosing the Springfield site would advance equity across the region.

While the proposed site is in Fairfax County, the Fairfax County NAACP branch was not one of the groups that signed the letter sent to the GSA on Monday.

“We write in response to GSA’s call for additional information about the prospective FBI site in Springfield, Virginia and to reaffirm that selecting this site will advance racial equity and support for underserved communities,” the civil rights and business groups said. “We fully support the Springfield bid and believe it will have a transformative impact for our communities.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Maryland's congressional delegation, in a statement issued July 14, welcomed the GSA's adjusted criteria for the FBI headquarters.

"We are encouraged to see today’s announcement from the General Services Administration corrects the flawed approach released in September that ignored taxpayer costs and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to equity," the Maryland officials, which also included Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, said in the statement.

The Greenbelt and Landover sites "provide the best operational and cost-effective options for the new, consolidated FBI headquarters," the Maryland officials said.

"They are shovel-ready with exceptional access to transportation and will spur greater equity and opportunity, in line with the Biden-Harris Administration’s executive orders," they added.

The latest letter sent by Virginia officials to the GSA and FBI was signed by three Republicans, along with all the Democrats in the state's congressional delegation.

The elected officials who signed the letter were Youngkin, Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats, and Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-11), Robert “Bobby” Scott (D-03), Rob Wittman (R-01), Don Beyer (D-08), Abigail Spanberger (D-07), Jennifer Wexton (D-10), Jen Kiggans (R-02) and Jennifer McClellan (D-04).

Three Republican House members from Virginia — Reps. Bob Good (R-05 ), Ben Cline (R-06) and Morgan Griffith (R-09) — did not sign Monday's letter expressing support for Springfield as the best location among the three sites under consideration.

The GSA released its revised criteria on July 14, a few days after U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, called on the House Appropriations Committee to bar any federal dollars from going toward building a new FBI headquarters in either Virginia or Maryland. Jordan urged the GSA to select a site outside the D.C. area, with the Redstone Arsenal Campus in Huntsville, Alabama, as one option.

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