This week, after more than a decade of debate, government officials chose a location for a new FBI headquarters, replacing the J. Edgar Hoover Building that has stood in downtown Washington, D.C., since the 1970s. The new building, which will be located in Maryland, will be able to accommodate thousands of agents and is expected to cost billions.
The government has long advocated for a new building, with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) noting in 2011 that the Hoover building was "nearing its life-cycle age and exhibiting signs of deterioration" and "do[es] not fully support the FBI's long-term security, space, and building condition requirements."
