Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Crane | The design of the new Fort Lupton Readiness Center as it will look after construction...... read more read more
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — The mayor of Fort Lupton, Colo., welcomed a "Queen of Battle" to town as the Colorado National Guard broke ground on a new armory, Dec. 2.
Upon completion, the armory, which will more commonly be referred to as a readiness center, will be home to Company B, 1st Battalion, 157th Infantry. The unit is one of six elements from the state's newest light infantry battalion, which has ties to communities across Colorado. The location of the center will better enable the COARNG to provide surrounding communities military support during state emergencies.
Congressional dignitaries, Colorado National Guard leaders, civic leaders, local firefighters and police officers, and Fort Lupton residents attended the event.
"The construction of new armories is a high priority for the Colorado Army National Guard, which needs to grow in strength to continue to be always ready, always there for our communities, state and nation," said Adjutant General of Colorado Maj. Gen. H. Michael Edwards.
Located on a 25-acre site on the southwest corner of County Road 31 and 9th Street, the 35,000-square-foot building will contain an assembly hall, classrooms, a library, a learning center, a kitchen, a recruiting office, a physical fitness area and restrooms. The land was purchased for $875,000 and construction is estimated to cost approximately $11 million. Completion is scheduled for April 2011.
"The impact of this facility includes putting $1.3 million annually into the Fort Lupton economy [and] to employ 50 to 75 trades people at the readiness construction site," said Mayor Tommy Holton. "More than that, I look forward to seeing men and women in uniform in and around Fort Lupton. I think this will make a big impression on our youth ... This may be an option for them as well. It will help them look beyond the city limits."
The building's architecture has been designed to integrate with the surrounding environment and will include appropriate landscape and parking facilities. There will be 119 part-time positions and five full-time positions based at the armory.
One project goal is to attain Leadership in Energy and an Environmental Design Silver Rating as developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Sustainability features of the building include water and energy saving measures, indoor environmental quality and using local building materials during construction.
Originally, planners looked to Denver for a building site. Due to higher land prices, the search was extended north. Fort Lupton is located in an area that already supported recruiting and retention. In addition, it's an advantageous location for responding to state emergencies.
But just as important, the community has welcomed the Colorado National Guard. Residents have worked proactively with the CONG from land selection through design and will continue to partner during construction.
"Of the five new armories in Colorado, we are the only Fort," said Holton. "I want to thank the1st Battalion, 157th Infantry for putting the Fort back into Fort Lupton."
The Colorado National Guard hasn't built a new armory since 1998.
Infantry has been called "The Queen of Battle" for hundreds of years. Most believe it originates from chess. The infantry is the basic component of any military force. Just as the queen piece on a chess board, the infantry is the most powerful, decisive and important part of the game of war.
| Date Taken: | 12.02.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 12.10.2009 12:05 |
| Story ID: | 42560 |
| Location: | CENTENNIAL, US |
| Web Views: | 348 |
| Downloads: | 240 |
This work, O' Hail O' Hail O' Infantry: Colorado Guard breaks ground, by SFC Joseph VonNida, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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