The Vermont Army National Guard plans to buy land from Vermont State University’s Lyndon campus for a new facility, officials announced Thursday.
The new “readiness center” is expected to be built on a 36-acre parcel between the campus and Interstate 91. Currently, the land is undeveloped, wooded and home to bike trails, according to university spokesperson Sylvia Plumb.
Plumb declined to give a dollar figure for the purchase, saying it would depend on land surveys and environmental assessments.
“We’re very excited about the partnership,” Plumb said. “We think this is going to be a wonderful use of the land to bring them here, and it will be great for the community. The broader community too, not just our institution, but for the town and this region.”
Readiness centers, once known as armories, perform training and administrative functions and serve as command hubs during emergencies. The Lyndonville facility will be the base for Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry, which is currently based in Newport.
“Our new facility in the Northeast Kingdom will eventually house multiple units,” Maj. Gen. Greg Knight, the Vermont National Guard’s adjutant general, said in the press release. “It is strategically located for the Cavalry Squadron in that two of their units are already located in the Northeast Kingdom, and it positions us well for future response to state emergencies.”
Construction of the new readiness center, which is estimated to cost $16.9 million, is scheduled to begin next summer. Capt. Mike Arcovitch, a Vermont National Guard spokesperson, said the facility will likely house around 100 people when completed.
“Our armories are consolidating because a lot of our facilities are getting older,” Arcovitch said, and the Vermont Army National Guard is working to house multiple units in one facility.
Vermont State University is undergoing a period of transformation. The institution officially launched July 1 through the merger of Northern Vermont University, Castleton University, and Vermont Technical College.
As part of that merger, the university is seeking to pay down a multimillion-dollar structural deficit.
“This collaboration is an exciting opportunity for Vermont State University to strengthen its bond with the veteran community, expand our campus offerings, and foster engagement with our local community,” interim university President Mike Smith, a former Navy Seal, said in the press release.
