N.D. Guard Breaks Ground In Valley City For New Facilities
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State leaders break ground on two North Dakota National Guard buildings in Valley City.
The new buildings will support maintenance repair requirements for the guard’s combat and tactical vehicles.
Leaders in the state are celebrating the groundbreaking of a $13 million project that will bring much needed work space to citizen soldiers in Valley City.
Work is expected to begin next month on two new buildings that will be used to maintain North Dakota National Guard combat and tactical vehicles.
State leaders say the old facility needs to be replaced.
“3,200 square feet, that’s the size of that maintenance facility. 175 vehicles; clearly inadequate,” said North Dakota Senator John Hoeven.
The new 45,000 square foot space gives employees more room for better technologies.
“Way too small for the amount of equipment that gets maintained out of Valley City, and also the size of the equipment has gotten bigger over the years,” said ND Army National Guard Lt. Col. Clark Johnson.
Leaders say the new building will allow service members to work more efficiently with vehicles like these, and with easy access to the interstate, it will be more convenient than the old place.
“Access to the site will be drastically improved compared to having to drive basically through the heart of Valley City to get up to the shop,” said Lt. Col. Johnson.
This is what the new space will look like.
It is scheduled for completion in 2017.
“It’s about supporting the combat and tactical vehicles and the mission, and mission readiness for the North Dakota National Guard,” said North Dakota Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley.
“The ability to improve our soldiers’ lives in their work areas and things like that, we always strive to do that as best as we can,” said Lt. Col. Johnson.
It’s a space that will help North Dakota National Guard employees maintain vehicles that are used in times of disaster.
The original vehicle maintenance shop was built in 1960.
