With the fate of the FBI HQ still awaiting a federal government decision, the head of D.C.’s legislature bemoaned that the tide appears to be turning toward the agency staying on Pennsylvania Avenue.
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said the FBI being based in the J. Edgar Hoover Building, its home for over four decades, does not bring property tax or income tax revenue to the District, and creates a large block of inactive space on the ceremonial avenue.
“We were looking forward to being able to replace that with really exciting economic development, both residential and commercial, and that opportunity seems to be lost,” said Mendelson, speaking Wednesday morning at Bisnow’s Economic and Political Forecast event.
The General Service Administration missed its deadline Monday to present its plan for the FBI HQ to a congressional committee, and the Washington Business Journal reported that the agency is leaning toward keeping the FBI at the Hoover Building. It had previously narrowed its search down to three sites in Maryland and Virginia before scrapping that years-long effort in July.
“GSA is continuing to finalize the report on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s new headquarters project and will submit it to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works,” A GSA spokesperson said in a statement provided to Bisnow.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Jon Banister over at Bis Now