The FBI has announced plans to relocate its headquarters to the Ronald Reagan Building complex in downtown Washington, D.C., ending years of political wrangling and scrapping a 2023 plan to build a new suburban campus in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The decision, unveiled jointly on July 1 by the FBI and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), is a sharp departure from nearly 20 years of efforts to replace the FBI’s crumbling J. Edgar Hoover Building with a purpose-built facility outside of Washington. Officials said the Reagan Building offers a faster, more cost-effective solution, while preserving proximity to the Department of Justice and other national security agencies.

“This is a historic moment for the FBI,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. “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 GSA highlighted the decision as a win for taxpayers, saving billions of dollars on new construction and helping drive government efficiency, a key priority of the Trump administration.

“FBI’s existing headquarters at the Hoover building is a perfect example of a government building that has accumulated years of deferred maintenance, suffering from an aging water system to concrete falling off the structure,” GSA acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian said in a statement.

Space in the Reagan Building, formerly occupied by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), became available after the Trump administration’s decision to close USAID, opening the door for the FBI’s move.

GSA Public Buildings Service Commissioner Michael Peters said that the 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.” That is, the FBI will no longer need to pay to keep the obsolete and failing structure operational.

“We are proud to partner with Director Patel to drive efficiency and improve the quality of space for a productive workforce in service to national security and taxpayers,” Peters stated.

The announcement drew sharp criticism from Maryland officials and expressions of frustration from Virginia lawmakers, underscoring the long and contentious debate over where the FBI’s new headquarters should be located.

Virginia’s Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, whose state lost out in the prior site selection process, blasted the decision as shortsighted.

“Moving the FBI from the Hoover Building to the Reagan Building isn’t a plan, it’s a punt,” Warner and Kaine said in a joint statement, accusing the administration of brushing aside years of expert analysis and jeopardizing the FBI’s operational needs. “The law enforcement and intelligence professionals of the FBI deserve more than a hasty, improvised approach. They deserve a facility that matches the gravity of their work to keep Americans safe.”

Maryland leaders expressed even sharper criticism, warning the move undermines years of planning and congressional funding. In a joint statement, “Team Maryland,” led by Gov. Wes Moore and including Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), and several other federal and local officials, vowed to fight the decision.

“The FBI deserves a headquarters that meets their security and mission needs—and following an extensive, thorough, and transparent process, Greenbelt, Maryland, was selected as the site that best meets those requirements,” their statement reads. “Not only was this decision final, the Congress appropriated funds specifically for the purpose of the new, consolidated campus to be built in Maryland. Now, the administration is attempting to redirect those funds—both undermining Congressional intent and dealing a blow to the men and women of the FBI.”

The long-running battle over the FBI’s headquarters has been marked by shifting administrations, political controversies, and competing state interests. Under President Joe Biden, the GSA in 2023 selected Greenbelt, Maryland, for a new, consolidated campus, citing lower costs, excellent transportation access, and strong prospects for timely delivery.

However, President Donald Trump and some congressional Republicans strongly opposed the Maryland move, saying the FBI should remain in Washington for operational and security reasons. Earlier this year, Trump voted to halt the Maryland relocation, arguing the FBI needed to remain close to the Justice Department.

“They were going to build an FBI headquarters 3 hours away in Maryland, a liberal state,” Trump said in a March speech at the Justice Department. “But we’re going to stop it, not going to let that happen.”

The Hoover Building’s poor condition has been well-documented for years. In 2011, the Government Accountability Office reported that the aging structure suffered from serious maintenance issues and inefficiencies that made collaboration among staff difficult. In May of this year, Patel reiterated the safety concerns while also signaling an intent to reduce the FBI’s footprint in the Washington area, shifting personnel nationwide to reflect crime trends and operational needs.

The Reagan Building complex, which previously housed the U.S. Agency for International Development and currently hosts U.S. Customs and Border Protection along with other tenants, offers the FBI immediate office space without the years-long delays of new construction.

The GSA said it will coordinate closely with existing Reagan Building tenants to manage the transition and minimize disruption.