FBI announces move to Ronald Reagan Building

FBI headquarters to stay in DC; move to different building

After some back and forth, it's been decided that the FBI headquarters will remain in D.C. but it will be moved to a different building. FOX 5's Nana Senuto-Bonsu has more.

WASHINGTON - The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced plans to relocate its headquarters to the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in downtown Washington, D.C., federal officials announced Tuesday, marking a pivotal shift for the agency after nearly twenty years of searching for a new home.

The decision, made in partnership with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), comes after years of unsuccessful efforts to build a new suburban campus—a plan that would have cost taxpayers billions and taken years to complete. Instead, officials say the move to the Reagan Building will provide a "world-class facility" that meets the FBI’s operational needs while saving money and accelerating the transition.

"This is a historic moment for the FBI," said Director Kash Patel. "Moving to the Ronald Reagan Building is the most cost-effective and resource-efficient way to carry out our mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution."

The current FBI headquarters, the aging J. Edgar Hoover Building on Pennsylvania Avenue, has suffered from years of deferred maintenance, including structural and utility issues. GSA Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian described the Hoover building as "a great example of a government building that has accumulated years of deferred maintenance, suffering from an aging water system, to concrete falling off the structure."

The backstory:

The Ronald Reagan Building, which opened in 1998, is one of the largest federal office complexes in the capital and was designed to house both government agencies and private sector tenants. The building’s central location and modern facilities were key factors in its selection, according to GSA and FBI officials. Situated in the heart of the Federal Triangle, it was originally conceived to enhance the vitality of Pennsylvania Avenue and serve as a symbol of the federal government’s stability and enterprise. 

The Reagan Building has a history as a hub for federal agencies. Most recently, it served as the headquarters for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which was forced to vacate its offices earlier this year as part of a broader government restructuring. USAID employees were instructed to clear out their workspaces in February after the agency’s closure was ordered by the Trump administration. The building also houses U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other tenants, with the GSA pledging to support their continued operations during the FBI’s transition.

What's next:

Officials have not yet announced a timeline for the full relocation of FBI personnel, but the move is being hailed as a major step toward modernizing the Bureau’s infrastructure and supporting its national security mission.

"This move not only provides a world-class location for the FBI’s public servants, but it also saves Americans billions of dollars on new construction and avoids more than $300 million in deferred maintenance costs at the J. Edgar Hoover facility," said GSA Public Buildings Service Commissioner Michael Peters.