Maryland's bid for FBI headquarters boosted by new criteria

Maryland may be the new favorite to land the FBI's next headquarters. 

An updated site selection plan from the federal government puts more weight into cost, and social equity and less emphasis on being close to current FBI facilities. 

That could give Maryland an advantage over Virginia. 

"The consultations with the delegations provided valuable feedback, and helped us refine our plan to maximize value for the FBI and the public," said Nina Albert, GSA Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service in a statement. "While the core elements of the site selection plan remain the same, we have updated the plan to incorporate new government-wide directives and to increase the consideration of cost to deliver better value for taxpayers. We believe these adjustments will support a process that results in a site that best serves the FBI and the public for years to come."

The three sites under review are Greenbelt and Landover in Maryland, and Springfield, Virginia. 

Leaders in Maryland’s federal, state, and local governments including Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Governor Wes Moore, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), John Sarbanes (MD-03), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), David Trone (MD-06), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks released the following statement Friday regarding the General Services Administration’s updated criteria for the selection of the new FBI headquarters site: 

"From day one, we have been united in advocating for a fair, transparent site selection process that advances the mission of the FBI and the equity goals outlined by the Biden-Harris Administration. "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. Today’s revised guidelines are a critical step in the right direction. This update is in line with the language we secured in last year’s omnibus funding bill that both delegations supported. "We remain as confident today as we have been for the past decade: Greenbelt and Landover provide the best operational and cost-effective options for the new, consolidated FBI Headquarters. These sites meet and exceed the criteria laid out by GSA. 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. We will continue working with GSA to ensure these factors are taken into consideration."