Sad state of Minnesota armories prompting a multimillion dollar plan to modernize

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 In Stillwater, the outdated armory has historic designation, making redevelopment tricky.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.

"Do we need the number of armories that we needed at the turn of the last century to be able to have that community outreach and base of operations?" asked Don Kerr, executive director of the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs, which operates the armories. "Obviously a lot of things have changed in the last 100 years."

Northfield's armory, located on downtown's Division Street since 1915, is a classic example of the travails of obsolescence.

It sits on a tight half-acre lot, a far cry from the 15 acres the Guard requires for its new sites. The remnants of the 434th Chemical Co., the last unit to occupy the space, have been removed and the unit transferred to Hastings. The only indication of its presence is its faded symbol painted at half court of the wooden drill floor.

Even at its best, the armory was less than optimal. Soldiers had to remove a railing and drive their Willys Jeeps down the front steps. The basement originally was intended as a stable for horses during the time soldiers rode into town for drill.

Now, its future is uncertain.

The Guard had offered to sell the property to the city for around $600,000, but the city passed. A group of investors has expressed interest, but only if it can use a combination of public and private financing. The owners of Imminent Brewery envision a portion of the building as the site for Northfield's first production brewery and taproom. The Northfield Convention & Visitors Bureau has suggested the rest of the property be used as a performance and event space.

Elsewhere across the state, some armories are reaching a tipping point.

With a castle-like turret right of out "Game of Thrones," the armory in downtown Madison in southwestern Minnesota is one of the most distinctive buildings in town. Folks like City Manager Valerie Halvorson grew up playing basketball there and now watch their children doing the same.

"Everyone knows the armory," she said.

But it has outgrown its space and is one of 35 armories across the state listed in poor condition. For the time being, the Guard plans to park some vehicles at a nearby property it recently acquired from the city. But ultimately, it will be forced to abandon the armory for another venue and combine units with one from nearby Appleton.

The Guard is making decisions for its new locations based on 21st century demands, both in its state mission to assist in times of emergencies and in its developing role as a partner in the U.S. military's global missions.

Equipment today is larger and more sophisticated than it once was. New sites also must be protected from terrorist attack. The Guard's proximity to parts of the state where it has been needed for natural disasters also is a factor in deciding where to put new facilities.

"I can't tell you where the next tornado is going to hit in Minnesota, but I can tell you it's going to be within a hundred miles of an armory," Kerr said.

The Guard also has consulted demographers to figure out where the babies born today might be living in 20 years. The goal? To put new facilities in locations close to where future Guardsmen are living. Ideally, travel time for soldiers should be no more than one hour from their home to their assigned readiness center.

The Guard also is mindful of its role as a community partner.

"In most cases we are trying to make it of mutual benefit," said Col. Larry Herke, construction and facilities management officer for the Minnesota National Guard. "We want members of the community to be able to come and be part of this."

A new $20 million National Guard Readiness Center in Stillwater will be built alongside a new $7 million municipal fire station on 18 acres of land. The design allows the two entities to operate independently but share some resources, including using the center as an emergency management headquarters.

But what becomes of the old armory downtown, completed in 1922 and obsolete by almost all standards?

Because the building is not on the main drag, parking is an issue, making the site problematic for retail use. It's historic designation also makes it more difficult to renovate for reuse. What's more, many of the Guard's top brass had commands there, elevating its sentimental value.

The city hopes the Guard will sell the armory for $1, with the building owned and operated privately, but with the city in the role of a facilitator.

"Certainly it would be a lot cheaper to take the building down and put something new in its place," said Bill Turnblad, Stillwater's community development director. "But it still has value to the community. Maybe not in terms of dollars, but as a historic resource."

Mark Brunswick • 612-673-4434