The FBI’s J. Edgar Hoover building in DC is closing permanently, Director Kash Patel says

WASHINGTON (WJLA) — The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) longtime headquarters at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in D.C. will “permanently” shutdown as the agency moves to the nearby Ronald Reagan Building, Director Kash Patel announced Friday.

Patel, in a statement, said plans to move the law enforcement agency from the aging property in Northwest, D.C. were finalized. The statement did not disclose an exact closing date, nor when it’s workforce would begin moving into its new offices roughly a mile down the road.

Much of the current FBI HQ workforce will also be dispersed elsewhere around the country, Patel said.

“After more than 20 years of failed attempts, we finalized a plan to permanently close the FBI’s Hoover headquarters and move the workforce into a safe, modern facility,” a portion of Patel’s statement read. “This decision puts resources where they belong: defending the homeland, crushing violent crime, and protecting national security. It delivers better tools for today’s FBI workforce at a fraction of the cost.”

In November, Maryland leaders sued the Trump administration after it cancelled plans earlier this year to build a new headquarters in Prince George’s County citing high costs and a 2035 opening date. The General Services Administration in 2023 chose Greenbelt, Md. over Springfield, Virginia, as the future home for the FBI.

Confirmation that the FBI would move to 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue came in early July.

A move to the Reagan Building, critics argued, would not meet the security demands needed for the FBI. Patel said that work is being done to fulfil the required safety and infrastructure upgrades.

The Reagan Building, located on 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, is already home to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Children’s Museum, and numerous other non-governmental companies. It also served as the offices for U.S. Agency for International Aid, which was removed by the Trump administration early into his second term.