7/15/2008
FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Gov. Joe Manchin today joined officials from the West Virginia National Guard, the City of Fairmont and Marion County to announce that construction of a new multipurpose National Guard armory here will move forward, thanks to a land purchase agreement made possible with cooperation of all of those agencies.
“Our National Guard is consistently ranked among the best in the country, and this facility will help to meet their needs so they can continue to lead our state and our nation,” Manchin said. “This is also going to be a great asset for the region and I thank the city and county for working with us to make this possible.”
The new $22 million Guard armory will be co-located in East Fairmont with a new multipurpose center that will also serve the city and county as a special events and convention facility. Construction of the armory provides the site development and public utilities that will also create opportunities for additional development in the area, including the multipurpose facility.
The existing National Guard armory was built in 1963 and is due to be replaced as part of the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission’s (BRAC) orders. The purpose of the new facility is to combine the Army Reserve center and a maintenance shop with the National Guard Armory. When facilities such as these are combined, all construction costs are federally funded, said West Virginia Adj. Gen. Allen Tackett.
“This investment in the future of Marion County would not have been possible without the strong support of city and county officials,” Tackett said. “Development of a new Armed Forces Reserve Center and multi-purpose community facility will add the infrastructure necessary for future development projects in Marion County. We're happy that we can bring a significant federal investment to north-central West Virginia.
Since the BRAC report was issued in 2005, the state and the Guard had been actively searching for a suitable location. The Guard is acquiring approximately 35 acres in East Fairmont’s Winfield District, a land purchase made possible because of work with the City of Fairmont and Marion County officials.
Fairmont Mayor Scott Sears said they are pleased to move forward on this project. “We’re delighted to have the opportunity for Fairmont and Marion County to have a new Armed Forces Reserve Center built here. This will benefit not only the National Guard, but can help to grow the entire region with the potential for future development in that area.”
The West Virginia National Guard was nearing a federally mandated deadline to find a location for the armory, which must begin construction by 2010 to receive the BRAC-appointed funds. That money is already set aside to build the armory, but the deed to the property on which it is to be built had to be in hand two years prior to construction.
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Lara amsburg
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