Iowa National Guard plans weekend training center in West Des Moines
Iowa National Guard soldiers will soon have a place in West Des Moines for their weekend training.
The Iowa National Guard Readiness Center is planned for 1625 Southeast County Line Road on the city's south side. West Des Moines' Plan and Zoning Commission approved a site plan for the project on Monday and the City Council will consider final approval at its meeting June 5.
Jackie Schmillen, spokesperson for the Iowa National Guard, said the facility would provide needed space for service members doing weekend drills.
The facility would be the first of its kind in the metro beyond Camp Dodge — the headquarters of the Iowa National Guard located in Johnston — and has been in the works since 2013, Schmillen said.
The training facility in West Des Moines would serve two National Guard units, the Company B 1-168 Infantry and 2168 Transportation Company. Similar facilities are located in Davenport and Iowa City.
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West Des Moines owns the approximately 35 acres of property on which the National Guard will construct a one-story, 45,300-square-foot building with parking for personnel and military vehicles, according to documents presented to the Plan and Zoning Commission. It will include a gym, classrooms, kitchen and physical fitness rooms.
Two additions would be possible in the future to bring the footprint up to 65,000 square feet.
The land is part of a larger 48-acre property — the rest of which West Des Moines plans to use for a future fire station to serve residents in the growing area south of the Racoon River and east of Interstate 35, as well as a training center of its own.
Mike Whitsell, West Des Moines' fire marshal and fire department spokesperson, said there's no timeline for the fire station or fire training center, but the center would be built first. It would include a structure for live burns, props and a pond.
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If approved, the National Guard would lease the land for its facility from the city for 20 years, with an option to renew for four additional 29-year terms, according to city documents.
The city has been negotiating an agreement with the Guard on responsibilities, but expects it would be allowed to use areas of the facility for community recreation and gathering purposes when the Guard isn't using those spaces for training.
Phillip Sitter covers suburban growth and development for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com. He is on Twitter @pslifeisabeauty.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa National Guard plans weekend training center in West Des Moines
