by Brianna Crandall — January 23, 2015—As part of its continuing efforts to lead the way for other organizations by consolidating federal spaces and providing sustainable, efficient facilities for federal agencies, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP), Phase I, last month seeking developers who can develop a new headquarters facility of up to 2.1 million square feet for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in exchange for the J. Edgar Hoover Building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC.
GSA and the FBI had earlier identified a short list of sites—Springfield, VA; Greenbelt, MD; and Landover, MD—and began a review under the National Environmental Policy Act of all three potential locations. This included well-attended public scoping meetings held in the fall. This process continues to move forward, and GSA plans to issue the draft Environmental Impact Statement in the spring of 2015. The deadline for responding to the RFP, Phase I, is February 10, 2015.
Bill Dowd, project executive for GSA’s Public Building Service, commented, “The J. Edgar Hoover building does not meet the FBI’s needs in the 21st century. GSA is planning to exchange this building for the construction of a new headquarters that would give the FBI a facility worthy of its mission; allow for valuable redevelopment in the Penn Quarter community of downtown Washington; drive cost savings; and deliver on GSA’s mission to shrink the federal footprint.”
Originally occupied in 1974, the J. Edgar Hoover building is positioned in a prime location on Pennsylvania Avenue, one block east of the historic Old Post Office, which GSA has successfully negotiated to redevelop as a luxury hotel. The 2.4 million-square-foot Hoover building sits on 6.7 acres of land and is prime location for office, retail, and residential uses, points out GSA.
The FBI Headquarters Consolidation is part of GSA’s ongoing effort to get underperforming federal facilities off of the government’s books, while creating the greatest possible value for taxpayers. It would also allow the FBI to consolidate its employees into one location from the current 20. This would not only cut costs and reduce energy consumption, but also maximize workplace efficiencies, notes GSA.
