The FBI will be building six buildings on the 1,600 acres of land on Redstone Arsenal, leased from the Army. The total investment in expanding its North Alabama footprint will be $1 billion. The outpost will essentially be a second headquarters for the FBI providing up to 4,000 jobs over the next decade.
The agency already has 400 employees in the 256. Once the first phase of construction is completed in 2021, nearly 1,400 employees from the DC area will be relocated to Huntsville.
The security of Redstone Arsenal was a big factor in luring the FBI to the area. North Alabama's reputation as a STEM hub also helped secure the deal.
“We want ... the best and the brightest, from wherever, to come there and work with us and alongside us in Huntsville,” says Paul Abbate, associate deputy director at the FBI, the top-ranking executive overseeing the expansion, in a sit-down interview with CNBC. “It’s already proven to have the potential to draw that type of talent there.”
The FBI has had a presence in the 256 since 1971, when the Hazardous Devices School opened on the arsenal. Back in 2016, Chase Gallimore got an inside look at the school inside the training program as the FBI took over full responsibility.
