FBI to scrap $5 billion move, Patel says

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(The Center Square) – FBI boss Kash Patel announced on Friday the agency scrapped a $5 billion plan to build a new headquarters. 

The FBI will permanently shut down the J. Edgar Hoover building in Washington D.C., and move into the Reagan building near the White House. 

"After more than 20 years of failed attempts, we finalized a plan to permanently close the FBI’s Hoover headquarters and move the workforce into a safe, modern facility," Patel wrote in a post on social media. "Working directly with President Trump and Congress, we accomplished what no one else could."

Patel said the planned $5 billion renovation that would not be complete until 2035. He said the FBI is already underway with making necessary safety and infrastructure upgrades to the Reagan building. 

The U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency already use spaces in the Reagan building. 

The move follows FBI plans to disperse personnel throughout the country, Patel said. 

"This decision puts resources where they belong: defending the homeland, crushing violent crime, and protecting national security," Patel wrote. "It delivers better tools for today’s FBI workforce at a fraction of the cost."