The U.S. Department of Justice is expanding its presence in the Islands by building a new headquarters for the FBI's Honolulu division on 10 acres of land in Kalaeloa.

Once constructed, the building will represent one of the largest federal law enforcement complexes in the Asia-Pacific region. The FBI's new headquarters will be half a mile from the nearly completed Hawai'i state judiciary building in Kapolei and will be home to 230 agents and support staff.

"The FBI's role in protecting the United States, from national security threats along with conducting complex criminal investigations, has expanded dramatically since employees of FBI's Honolulu division moved into the federal building on Ala Moana boulevard in the 1970s," said FBI special agent Brandon Simpson. "To keep up with the new responsibilities and the increased workload of the FBI's Honolulu division, it is imperative that a modern facility capable of accommodating our expanding personnel resources be built."

Hunt Development Group, working through Ford Island Properties LLC, has signed a site option agreement with the U.S. General Services Administration to purchase 10 acres of land along Roosevelt Avenue in Kalaeloa.

GSA put out a request for proposals and wants to secure a deal that will allow a private developer to buy the land, design, build and maintain the building under a long-term lease agreement.

The construction will take 2 1/2 years. No cost estimate was immediately available.

Gene Gibson, public information officer for the GSA's western region office in San Francisco, would not comment because the procurement process is confidential.

"This new building will provide the hundreds of agents, analysts, linguists, task force officers and other support employees working for the FBI the working space and technological equipment necessary to continue protecting our community from the dangers of this region," Simpson said.

The FBI has spent the past 32 years in the Prince Jonah Kuhio Federal Building on Ala Moana. In addition to Hawai'i, the FBI here is responsible for federal law enforcement in Guam, Saipan and American Samoa.

Lawmakers representing the area where the complex is planned said the federal government's investment is key to encouraging development and investment in the region. Commercial development has flourished in Kapolei and lawmakers hope once government offices move to nearby Kalaeloa, commercial developers will follow.

"The thing I've seen is that private sector follows government. The government needs to take the lead in these types of things," said City Council Chairman Todd K. Apo. "It's a big piece of the puzzle. It's one of the ways that government plays an important role in growing a real city."

Apo said any planning will have to take into account the ideas of the Hawaii Community Development Authority and the city's 'Ewa Development Plan.

State Rep. Sharon Har, D-40th (Royal Kunia, Makakilo, Kapolei) said Kalaeloa is the "segue" to West O'ahu and the mix of landowners in Kalaeloa has made it difficult to develop a clear strategy for building the area out.

The U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, City and County of Honolulu, the state Department of Transportation and private landowners all have parcels within Kalaeloa.

"This is significant because we need some major entity to come into Kalaeloa and show their commitment to this area," Har said. "With the FBI investing in Kalaeoa, it shows that they see West O'ahu as a place of continuing development and they believe Kalaeloa is the place for their operations to grow."