WASHINGTON, DC-The House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management held a hearing on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's search for a new headquarters Wednesday. Much of the hearing was devoted to why the FBI was leaving – namely, because the agency had outgrown the building, which among other flaws does not meet current security standards.

As various people testifying noted, currently the FBI headquarter functions are dispersed over 3 million square feet of space and 21 separate locations. By consolidating these operations, the FBI headquarters' footprint could be reduced by approximately 1 million square feet, and taxpayers could save approximately $43 million annually. "The dispersal of employees has created significant challenges in facilitating organizational change, sharing information and in administrative functions," Kevin Perkins, associate deputy director at the FBI, said in his testimony.

For developers and others in the commercial real estate community hoping into some insight into GSA's next steps, little light was shed. The agency received approximately 35 responses to its solicitation .

Various ideas are out there – leasing a building versus building a new one -- and as the hearing made clear, there is no clear consensus as to which option is the best. Another option, GSA has said, could be an exchange of the Hoover Building in the acquisition of a new facility. [see following story for more details].

GSA's Public Buildings Service Commissioner Dorothy Robyn, and Perkins testified before the subcommittee as well as Congress people from Virginia and Maryland.