Hogan, federal delegation reaffirm commitment to FBI project

ANNAPOLIS — The state’s delegation to Congress joined Gov. Larry Hogan Monday to reaffirm their commitment to convincing the federal government to relocate the FBI headquarters to one of two sites in Prince George’s County.

Hogan and his Cabinet met with the 10-member delegation for more than 90 minutes to discuss not only the governor’s concerns at the state level but also review 129 requests to the federal government for projects in nearly every agency in state government. But Hogan and others said they are focused on bringing the new FBI headquarters and its 11,000 employees to the Washington, D.C., suburbs.

“We want to demonstrate how at every level of government we are fully committed to the FBI coming to Maryland,” said Hogan, who added that attracting the new facility ties into his statewide economic development goals.

The state is in competition with Virginia to lure the new headquarters from downtown D.C. The federal government is looking at sites in Greenbelt and Largo, Maryland, as well as Springfield, Virginia, for a new 2.1 million square-foot building to replace the 41-year old J. Edgar Hoover Building.

As many as 43 percent of the employees who currently work in the Hoover building live in Maryland, according to U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski.

“The FBI needs to move here,” Mikulski said. “The whole FBI needs to move. We’re not talking about a little bit of the FBI. We’re talking about the entire FBI.”

Mikulski said the state plans to leverage its assets, including the proximity to the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Maryland’s university system, and the state’s existing infrastructure to lure the project to Maryland.

“We have the political will to do it,” Mikulski said.

A final decision is expected from the General Services Administration next spring.

Mikulski and other Democrats praised Hogan, the Republican governor, for his efforts to work to help bring the project to the state.

“We want to thank the governor for hosting this meeting and for what we regard as a conversation that was based on civility and finding common cause,” Mikulski said.

“I do want to thank the governor for immediately, upon being sworn in, saying he supports the FBI,” said Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker III. “He gathered us all in this room and talked about the things that need to be done in order to bring the FBI to Maryland and Prince Georges County.”

Rep. Elijah Cummings said the fate of the Red and Purple Line light-rail projects could help enhance the viability of the FBI headquarters project.

“These projects are so important to all of us when you’re talking about our economy, when you’re talking about jobs, the ability for people to move from one place to another, to be liberated so they can move around and get to church and things they need to do,” Cummings said.

The Purple Line, which would run from Prince George’s County to Montgomery County, would likely provide transportation to the FBI headquarters if the Greenbelt site were selected. Still, officials stressed that the FBI project was independent of the Purple Line project.

“It’s not dependent upon the Purple Line,” said Sen. Ben Cardin. “Purple Line is a separate issue on which the federal government has spoken and is prepared to enter into a full funding agreement.”

Hogan and state Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn have not yet made a decision about whether either the Purple or Red Line projects will move forward.

The state and Prince George’s County will likely have to find money to help pay for some needed infrastructure. Hogan called the costs “pretty substantial.”

Rahn said that state so far only has estimates for the Greenbelt site. Engineering estimates place the total state and local costs between $190 million and $210 million.

Baker said the county has already identified money for its share of the project. The state has yet to add the project to the budget, though Rahn promised to prioritize it if need be.

“From the DOT’s perspective, if the transportation is what is dependent upon the FBI to locate here, we will find the money,” Rahn said.