The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that it will permanently close the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., and relocate its main headquarters to the nearby Reagan Building, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X on Dec. 26.
Director's Announcement
In his X post, Patel said the move "finalized a plan to permanently close the FBI’s Hoover headquarters and move the workforce into a safe, modern facility," crediting cooperation from President Donald Trump and Congress. He characterized the relocation as a cost-saving measure that avoids a nearly $5 billion price tag associated with a proposed new headquarters that, he said, would not have been ready until 2035.
"This decision puts resources where they belong: defending the homeland, crushing violent crime, and protecting national security. It delivers better tools for today’s FBI workforce at a fraction of the cost," Patel wrote.
Where The Headquarters Will Move
Patel said the FBI will move into the already-existing Reagan Building, located roughly half a mile from the Hoover Building. He added that required safety and infrastructure upgrades at the Reagan Building are already underway. The director did not provide a specific timeline for the relocation.
J. David Ake/GettyJ. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington D.C.
Patel's Past Criticism Of The Hoover Building
Patel, a former federal prosecutor and podcast host, has been vocal about his opposition to the Hoover Building. In a 2023 interview he suggested closing the site and repurposing it as a "museum of the Deep State," and proposed relocating many of the roughly 7,000 employees based there to field assignments across the country.
Background And Controversy
The J. Edgar Hoover Building has been the FBI's primary headquarters since 1975. Earlier this year, the Trump administration canceled plans to build a new FBI headquarters in Maryland, citing high costs, a lengthy construction schedule and the desire to keep the bureau close to the Department of Justice. Critics argued that the canceled Maryland project would have provided modern, state-of-the-art security features that may be difficult to replicate by renovating or repurposing older facilities.
Patel's statements describe projected savings and timelines from the administration's perspective; independent cost and security assessments of the proposed move and upgrades have not been released publicly. The FBI has not announced a firm relocation date or detailed operational timeline.
