Virginia lawmakers have met to discuss possible sites for a new FBI headquarters, as speculation grows the agency will leave the J. Edgar Hoover Building in downtown D.C., its home since 1974.
According to a Washington Examiner article, six sites have been identified as possible replacements for the FBI campus and lawmakers from each Va. county have begun jockeying for support in order to land the 12,000 jobs and $8 billion annual budget the crime fighting agency would bring with it.
The sites include “a warehouse in Springfield, the center for innovative technology in Herndon, Fort Belvoir, Washington Dulles International Airport, Potomac Shores in Dumfries and Quantico.”
Congressman Jim Moran said it was important that representatives from the different jurisdictions do not engage in infighting as the ultimate goal is to bring the FBI to Virginia as opposed to Maryland.
“Our singular focus as a bipartisan delegation is bringing the FBI to Virginia,” he said. “We are all going to promote Virginia as the best place for this relocation.”
According to the article, the site must be within two miles of a Metro station, 2.5 miles from the Beltway, 2.1 million square feet and be at least 55 acres in size, guidelines that a number of  sites in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties in Maryland also meet.
“This is one example that you don’t see much of these days where everyone checks their Democratic and Republican hats at the door, and we’re all working together,” Sen. Mark Warner told Del Ray Patch.
“As long as the decision is made on its merits, Virginia will be successful,” he added.
