Virginia Officials Support Springfield for FBI Headquarters Site

By Rachel Hatzipanagos

Virginia Gov.-Elect Terry McAuliffe and state and local lawmakers gathered Tuesday morning in Springfield to rally support behind the location as the future headquarters of the FBI.

The General Services Administration announced last year it plans to move the FBI headquarters from DC's J. Edgar Hoover Building on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Since then, local and state officials from Virginia and Maryland have been competing to find a location for the law enforcement agency, to presumably help bring in new jobs and stimulate their local economies. 

“This is a very important project for the Commonwealth of Virginia,” McAuliffe said at a press conference Tuesday morning. “This is thousands of jobs.”

Congressman Jim Moran (D-8th), Sen. Mark Warner (D), Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-11th) and Congressman Frank Wolf (R-10th) were among those in attendance to announce their support of one location in Virginia: Springfield.

“It’s a great day for Springfield and a great day for Fairfax County,” said Fairfax County Supervisor Jeff McKay.

Locations in other parts of Northern Virginia had also been considered, but in the end, the Springfield location won out mainly due to its proximity to the Metro and other transportation services, officials said.

“There were other possible sites, but we knew we would hurt ourselves if we compete against each other,” said Sen. Tim Kaine.

The press conference took place at the Northern Virginia Community College Medical Campus, not far from the proposed site location, about half a mile from the Franconia-Springfield Metro stop.

The approximately 40-acre site is adjacent to nearby Loisdale Road and Springfield Center Drive. Officials boasted the site's proximity to I-395, I-495 and Quantico.

The U.S. General Services Administration officially began soliciting site proposals online in November.

Maryland officials, meanwhile, are pitching a site near the Greenbelt Metro Station, according to the Washington Post. 

“Our intent is not to undermine Maryland’s efforts,” Moran said. “We want to promote our site in Virginia."

Others who attended the press conference included  Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Jim Cheng, state Sen. George Barker and Del. Vivian Watts.