This week brought encouraging news for Prince George’s County and our entire region. On August 17, U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang blocked the Trump administration’s plan to relocate the FBI headquarters to the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., clearing the path for the project to return to the previously selected Greenbelt site.
Greenbelt was selected in 2023 after more than a decade of planning and a competitive review involving sites in Greenbelt, Landover and Springfield, Virginia. However, in July 2025, the administration abandoned that decision and proposed moving the FBI into the Reagan Building instead. Maryland and Prince George’s County challenged the change in court.
The judge ruled that the administration did not have the legal authority to select a site outside the three locations approved by Congress. The court also blocked the diversion of $555 million in federal funding intended for the headquarters project. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown called the decision a victory for the jobs, investment and opportunities Marylanders deserve.
This is very good news for Greenbelt, College Park and surrounding communities. The project is expected to bring approximately 7,500 jobs and generate an estimated $4 billion in economic activity. Our residents could benefit from new employment opportunities, while local restaurants, shops and other businesses could gain thousands of new customers. Some FBI employees and their families may also choose to make College Park their home.
This has been a long process, and Maryland and Prince George’s County have invested a great deal of time and effort in bringing the headquarters to Greenbelt. We were deeply disappointed when the Greenbelt plan was abandoned, so I am thankful that the court overturned that decision.
The legal fight may not be over, as the administration could appeal the ruling. Still, this is an important step toward bringing this transformational project—and its jobs, investment and opportunities—back to Prince George’s County. Read more in College Park Here & Now.