Fairfax versus PG for new FBI Headquarters gets ugly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MD officials are up in arms about the GSA adding a last-minute criterion to the new FBI HQ site selection process: proximity to existing FBI facilities.

https://wtop.com/local/2022/10/marylands-governor-on-fbi-hq-selection-process/

The new criterion makes sense to me.

ok, but why didn't they have that criteria in the first place? It does seem strange to throw that in at the last minute. That's a very specific criteria since there aren't that many FBI sites around the DC area.

It's a good question. The original criteria put all sites on somewhat equal footing. This new criterion immediately elevated Springfield.

[Anonymous]

You know, if the FBI was actually full of liberals like the Republicans keep telling us, they would want to be in Maryland over Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FBI headquarters belongs in DC. This whole thing is ridiculous.

Their current headquarters is literally falling apart and doesn’t have room for the entire operation.

It could have been renovated anytime. These "moving" shenanigans have been going on for years and years.

You know very well that it’s only gone on for years and years because Trump stopped it because he didn’t want the federal government selling the current FBI headquarters site to a competing hotel. The site selection process was nearly done before he started meddling in it.

Well yes but even before Trump, they should have been moving forward on renovation instead of moving. No one at the FBI wants to move. Objectively, it doesn't make sense.

Before Trump, the current FBI headquarters was deemed too small and falling apart, that’s why the site selection process was occurring in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know, if the FBI was actually full of liberals like the Republicans keep telling us, they would want to be in Maryland over Virginia.

I thought the Rs now wanted to defund the FBI?

[Anonymous]

The HQ would end up in NoVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FBI headquarters belongs in DC. This whole thing is ridiculous.

Their current headquarters is literally falling apart and doesn’t have room for the entire operation.

It could have been renovated anytime. These "moving" shenanigans have been going on for years and years.

You know very well that it’s only gone on for years and years because Trump stopped it because he didn’t want the federal government selling the current FBI headquarters site to a competing hotel. The site selection process was nearly done before he started meddling in it.

Well yes but even before Trump, they should have been moving forward on renovation instead of moving. No one at the FBI wants to move. Objectively, it doesn't make sense.

Before Trump, the current FBI headquarters was deemed too small and falling apart, that’s why the site selection process was occurring in the first place.

Moving was always political, not the right thing to do or best for working operations. What would be best for the FBI would be renovating the current place. Second best would be moving to the second best location, Springfield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I found that people who say shit like this have never actually been to our county. They tend to be afraid of the crime-ridden-poor-black majority-county. Well, except for the National Harbor because that's not really PG. It's Fairfax adjacent.

When we moved to the DC area we chose to live in PG county for it's diversity. DH's job is in AA county and we first looked at houses there but found we liked PG County better. We live in an ideal neighborhood where we know everyone on our street and the majority of the people in the next four blocks. We live in a house but near apartment complex that is home mostly families and graduate students.

The large apartment complex near where the FBI headquarters is slated to go is under new management and crime is down. It was a troubled spot because the rent was cheap and there are 2,900 units there. Well, the affordable housing and section 8 is still available but this new management is not renewing leases for known trouble makers. While I still wouldn't hang out there at night I have volunteered at their elementary school during the day. Crime there has most certainly decreased there.

PGC: 65.4% AA 26.6% W (15.2% non-HISP) 4.3% AZN 15.2% HISP
MoCo: 18.2% AA 63.6% W (48.7% non-HISP) 14.4% AZN 17.5% HISP
Frederick: 9.2% AA 83.8% W (77.3% non-HISP) 4.1% AZN 7.6% HISP
Anne Arundel: 16.1% AA 77.1% W (71.9% non-HISP) 3.6% AZN 6.4% HISP
Arlington: 9.1% AA 77.3% W (64.0% non-HISP) 9.7% AZN 15.2% HISP
Alexandria: 21.8% AA 60.9% W (53.5% non-HISP) 6.0% AZN 16.1% HISP
Fairfax: 9.9% AA 68.1% W (54.1% non-HISP) 18.0% AZN 15.8% HISP
Prince William: 21.3% AA 65.6% W (48.3% non-HISP) 7.9% AZN 20.5% HISP
Loudoun: 8.0% AA 72.8% W (61.6% non-HISP) 15.3% AZN 12.6% HISP

Prince George's is many things, but diverse it is not, unless you count fairly monolithic African-American to be diverse. Somehow, I doubt you consider Faifrax to be diverse.

By your definition, neither is Fairfax, which is more white than PG is black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maryland’s desperate push to land the FBI headquarters is embarrassing.

I think the FBI headquarters should stay in DC. However, since that’s not an option, Springfield makes a lot more sense than either Landover or Greenbelt. Using some common sense metrics, Springfield is far more convenient to a majority of the metro area’s population than the PG sites. It has better highway access, transit access (Metro, VRE, and bus), and — as the article states — more convenient to existing FBI assets.

I have a neighbor in the Bureau. According to him, there’s little support to leave DC among his colleagues, but — if they must — VA is favored over MD.

+1 they want to stay in DC. But the cost and effort to renovate the Hoover building is, in many ways, not worth it. It also needs to be expanded. The FBI has a bunch of little satellite offices here and there in random office parks in the burbs to accommodate this and that program that they don’t have room for at HQ. They’re also trying to offload some entire departments to the “HQ2” in Huntsville. With a new and larger HQ they could shut down a lot of their leased spaces in the area and save money in the long run. They do want to stay in the district but it might just not be feasible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it should go to PG. It has the least amount of traffic density.

Seriously, this entire area is changing. If people keep saying that businesses shouldn't move to PG, then of course crime will increase, because there are empty buildings!!! That would happen in *any* county/city.

PG County has metro access, the lightest traffic in the general area, and it has the facilities/space.

Montgomery County and Northern Va traffic are out of control.

PG County makes the most sense.

Remember, some of the most gentrified, expensive areas of D.C. used to be worse than Baltimore City and PG combined. But what happened? People moved there! Businesses moved there! Crime dropped because it was no longer stretches of empty, boarded-up buildings.

We need to start making decisions based on practical things and not stupid stigmas. There are a lot of areas in PG that are safe and family-friendly and lovely places.

Fairfax is near airports, the Pentagon, Quantico, CIA. Practical and good public schools for FBI employees. PG is near fedex Field and on the way to the beach.

And don't forget Fort Belvoir. Retire from the Army and the FBI is a potential employer. Fairfax County spent a colossal amount of money redeveloping the old Lorton prison site - now a very nice place to live. In addition to great nearby schools like Hayfield, West Springfield, etc there is the South County HS and MS. Plus in that area of the county they don't get special tax districts for the same sttuff that Reston and MMclan have to ay extra for.

[Anonymous]

The current FBI Building is also an extremely soft target which is one of the major shortcomings moving to a suburban campus would mitigate. They should have moved it to ST. E's or Bolling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland’s desperate push to land the FBI headquarters is embarrassing.

I think the FBI headquarters should stay in DC. However, since that’s not an option, Springfield makes a lot more sense than either Landover or Greenbelt. Using some common sense metrics, Springfield is far more convenient to a majority of the metro area’s population than the PG sites. It has better highway access, transit access (Metro, VRE, and bus), and — as the article states — more convenient to existing FBI assets.

I have a neighbor in the Bureau. According to him, there’s little support to leave DC among his colleagues, but — if they must — VA is favored over MD.

+1 they want to stay in DC. But the cost and effort to renovate the Hoover building is, in many ways, not worth it. It also needs to be expanded. The FBI has a bunch of little satellite offices here and there in random office parks in the burbs to accommodate this and that program that they don’t have room for at HQ. They’re also trying to offload some entire departments to the “HQ2” in Huntsville. With a new and larger HQ they could shut down a lot of their leased spaces in the area and save money in the long run. They do want to stay in the district but it might just not be feasible.

+1 All this is exactly right. The Hoover Building is a teardown. It’s way too small and will cost way to much to renovate and expansion isn’t possible on that site. And the land is worth a TON of money now that the President won’t block a sale to a competing hotel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know, if the FBI was actually full of liberals like the Republicans keep telling us, they would want to be in Maryland over Virginia.

Yep. Except it's not and they want to be in VA,. apparently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The current FBI Building is also an extremely soft target which is one of the major shortcomings moving to a suburban campus would mitigate. They should have moved it to ST. E's or Bolling.

Yeah they definitely want more of a “secure campus” feel like CIA and TSA already have vs. a big old office building in the middle of the city without a real security perimeter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it should go to PG. It has the least amount of traffic density.

Seriously, this entire area is changing. If people keep saying that businesses shouldn't move to PG, then of course crime will increase, because there are empty buildings!!! That would happen in *any* county/city.

PG County has metro access, the lightest traffic in the general area, and it has the facilities/space.

Montgomery County and Northern Va traffic are out of control.

PG County makes the most sense.

Remember, some of the most gentrified, expensive areas of D.C. used to be worse than Baltimore City and PG combined. But what happened? People moved there! Businesses moved there! Crime dropped because it was no longer stretches of empty, boarded-up buildings.

We need to start making decisions based on practical things and not stupid stigmas. There are a lot of areas in PG that are safe and family-friendly and lovely places.

Fairfax is near airports, the Pentagon, Quantico, CIA. Practical and good public schools for FBI employees. PG is near fedex Field and on the way to the beach.

And don't forget Fort Belvoir. Retire from the Army and the FBI is a potential employer. Fairfax County spent a colossal amount of money redeveloping the old Lorton prison site - now a very nice place to live. In addition to great nearby schools like Hayfield, West Springfield, etc there is the South County HS and MS. Plus in that area of the county they don't get special tax districts for the same sttuff that Reston and MMclan have to ay extra for.

The Greenbelt site is close to Fort Meade and NSA. Both MD sites are close to JB Anacostia-Bolling. Greenbelt has very easy access to BWI. Although PG county doesn't have as good schools, AA county is a short commute away and has many good schools. Additionally, government salaries aren't the highest. It is a lot cheaper to live in PG or AA county than to live in Arlington, Alexandria or Fairfax Counties. Housing and COL are much lower. Not too many are going to have a good middle class to UMC household with a SAH partner in Virginia as will have that option in MD.

[Anonymous]

Reviving this thread as MD and VA recently petitioned the GSA about why their site(s) is/are best.

MD's aggressive push comes off as desperation; it's pathetic. VA officials sound more reasoned and less emotional.

I'm interested in what the GSA finally does here.