SPRINGFIELD, Va. (WJHL) – Elected Commonwealth officials from both sides of the aisle banded together on Monday to make the case for Springfield, Virginia as the site for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s new suburban headquarters.

In a letter signed by Governor Glenn Youngkin (R), Senators Mark Warner (D) and Tim Kaine (D) and all but four of the state’s representatives in Washington, General Services Administration (GSA) officials are asked to consider what Springfield has to offer the country’s highest criminal investigation agency.

The Monday letter was also addressed to FBI Director Christopher Wray and outlined five main criteria for the site:

  • Proximity to key national locations like the Department of Justice (DOJ);
  • Transportation Access;
  • Site Development Flexibility;
  • Site Sustainability and Equity Goals and
  • Cost

The Commonwealth’s letter put forward arguments that the Springfield site is only 27 miles from Quantico, Virginia’s FBI academy and 13 miles from the U.S. Department of Justice. The offered site is also close to Central Intelligence Agency headquarters at Langley and the Department of Defense, the letter said.

Another important part of the site’s location is its transport access, with only an 11-mile distance to Ronald Raegan Washington National Airport.

In terms of equity goals, Virginia’s letter said the demographic makeup of Springfield would promote a diverse FBI site and transform local communities.

“In Springfield, a language other than English is spoken in close to 55 percent of homes, and 40 percent of the population is foreign-born,” the letter said. “The immediate area within a five-mile radius of the Springfield site includes more than 27,600 residents living at less than 125% of the federal poverty level.”

Springfield’s site candidate is already owned by the federal government, which the letter argues would lead to some significant savings.