INSIGHTi
FBI Headquarters Site Selection Process
Updated November 13, 2023
Identification of Potential Sites
On February 8, 2016, the General Services Administration (GSA) submitted a prospectus to Congress for
the construction of a new headquarters facility for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The new
headquarters would allow for the consolidation of more than 11,000 FBI employees currently located in
the J. Edgar Hoover Building and 13 other leased properties in the National Capitol Region. The
prospectus identified three potential sites for the facility: Greenbelt, MD; Landover, MD; and Springfield,
VA. In July 2017, GSA cancelled the project, citing insufficient funding. No further action was taken until
the enactment of the FY2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-103). Section 530 E of the law
required GSA to select one of the three sites “in as expeditious manner as possible.”
Site Selection Plan
In September 2022, GSA published a document outlining the process by which the new FBI headquarters
site will be chosen from the three previously identified locations. This plan was modified in November
2022 and again in July 2023. This Insight describes the July 2023 plan. In brief, a selection panel of
government employees is to assess each site based on five weighted criteria and make a recommendation
to the site selection authority, who makes the final decision and may reject the panel’s recommendation.
Site Selection Participants
The site selection authority is a full-time federal employee in the Senior Executive Service. An individual
has been designated as the site selection authority, although that person’s name has not been made public.
The site selection authority is responsible for, among other things:
• making the final decision on the location of the new FBI headquarters,
• appointing the voting and non-voting members of the site selection panel, and
• appointing the site selection panel chairperson.
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IN12204
CRS INSIGHT
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The site selection panel consists of three voting members—two from GSA and one from the FBI—as well
as eight non-voting technical advisors. The advisors gather information for the panel and assist in its
interpretation. The 11 panel members have been appointed, but their names have not been made public.
Site Selection Criteria
GSA established five weighted criteria against which the panelists are to evaluate each site. Each of the
criteria also has subcriteria, which are of equal importance but are not separately weighted. The five
criteria, their subcriteria, and their weights (out of 100 total points) are listed below.
1. FBI Mission Requirements (25 points)
a. Proximity to the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA
b. Proximity to operationally significant FBI real estate assets in the region
c. Proximity to the Department of Justice, U.S. Capitol, and White House
2. Transportation Access (20 points)
a. Walking distance to a Metro station
b. Walking distance to a Virginia Railway Express (VRE) or a Maryland Area Regional
Commuter (MARC) station
c. Accessibility to a major bus line stop
d. Proximity to a commercial airport
3. Site Development Flexibility (15 points)
a. Site area and geometry
b. Risk to meeting earliest construction start date
4. Promoting Sustainable Siting and Advancing Equity (20 points)
a. Advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities
b. Promoting sustainable locations and strengthening the vitality and livability of
communities in which federal facilities are located
5. Cost (20 points)
a. All costs including acquisition, preparation, off-site improvements, and escalation
The July 2023 amendment to the site selection plan reduced the weight given to the FBI Mission
Requirements criterion from 35 to 25 points and Transportation Access from 25 to 20 points. The
amendment increased from 15 to 20 points the weight given to the Promoting Sustainable Siting and
Advancing Equity criterion and from 10 to 20 points the Cost criterion. On November 9, GSA announced
that the new FBI headquarters would be located in Greenbelt, MD.
Author Information
Garrett Hatch
Specialist in American National Government
Congressional Research Service
3
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff
to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of
Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of
information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role.
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