NORTHFIELD, MINN. – It's not hard to hear the echoes of memories that made the National Guard armory a special part of Northfield.
This is where thousands of Guard members gathered and trained for nearly a century. It's the spot where runners went to register for the Jesse James 5k race. It's played host to dozens of events for kids with the YMCA, which stored toys and play equipment here. And when the lights inside were dimmed, it became a festive venue for father/daughter dances.
In cities and towns all across the state, the National Guard's 64 armories are home to more than just weekend drills and deployment ceremonies. They are host to gun shows and wedding receptions and Friday night pickup basketball games.
But the sad state of many — more than half are in poor condition and three are actually failing — is prompting the Guard to close a dozen facilities as part of a $764 million plan to modernize its operations to fit its ever-changing role.
Across the country, 600 armories, or nearly 20 percent of Guard locations, are considered obsolete. In Minnesota, more than 90 percent of National Guard soldiers train in deficient armories, half built more than 50 years ago.
Currently, the Minnesota Guard plans to shut down 12 facilities, including those in Pipestone, Ortonville, Cloquet, St. James, Thief River Falls, Roseville and Northfield. The closings have the potential to change the face of many small towns.
In Northfield, the downtown armory is up for sale and a portion of it could morph into a brewery. In Stillwater, the outdated armory has historic designation, making redevelopment tricky. And in Long Prairie, the armory is being sold back to Minnesota Power, which sold it to the National Guard.
Even the word "armory" is going away. By the end of a 20-year restructuring, the Minnesota Guard hopes to have established 56 "Readiness Centers" in 52 communities.