New FBI South Florida HQ Dedicated To Fallen Special Agents
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MIRAMAR (CBSMiami) -- In a touching ceremony, the FBI and the General Services Administration officially named and dedicated their new headquarters to two fallen special agents who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
"We will never forget it. This memorial is a good reminder but even without it, we will never forget. This building is both a memorial and inspiration," said FBI director James Comey.
On April 11, 1986, special agents Benjamin Grogan and Jerry Dove were killed in the line of duty in a gun battle with two criminals in South Miami-Dade.
Click here to watch Marybel Rodriguez's report.
"That day was a day that changed not just the FBI but all of American Law Enforcement. We have worked for three decades to make good come from that so that lives could be saved, people were protected and the bad guys brought to justice in a way not possible before that day 29 years ago," said Comey.
FBI Miami's new headquarters is a sight to be reckoned with.
The 380,000 square foot glass building could be seen from miles away. It can accommodate nearly 1,000 FBI employees with roof top solar panels on the parking garage, generating nearly 20 percent of the building's energy usage.
The new facility also includes open work spaces, a fitness center, medical suite, auto shop, a one half-mile running trail among the many features.
For the special agents, their new $194 million home is much more than a state of the art facility.
"Each time we walk through the doors of this building, now dedicated in their names, we'll not only remember their honorable service but we will also carry their torch, the torch of fidelity, bravery and integrity," said Special Agent in charge of the Miami Bureau George Piro.
Thanks to Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, on Tuesday, President Barack Obama had signed the bill that dedicated the building to the fallen agents.
