State sets land sale for new National Guard readiness center in Redmond

One piece of larger project, years in the making, with years to go

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- After years of discussion and collaboration between the city of Redmond, Deschutes County and the Oregon Military Department, another state agency will be meeting to approve the sale of 20 state-owned acres for a new National Guard readiness center in Redmond.

A proposal to approve the sale of 20 acres in Redmond for $1.66 million to the Oregon Military Department is on the agenda of next Tuesday's virtual state Land Board meeting.

The Oregon Military Department operates and maintains 37 armories and readiness centers throughout the state. It also refurbishes or rebuilds armories as they become functionally obsolete.

The centers serve as training facilities and armories where citizen-soldiers go once a month to train for disaster relief or other military roles.

Stan Hutchinson, director of installations for the Oregon Military Department, said Redmond’s new facility will include everything to support the National Guard.

“This will be a very modern facility that will be a community asset that I think the community will be very proud of,” Hutchinson said.

It will replace the current 65-year-old Redmond Armory site in the city.

Redmond’s 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team “B” Troop, which was recently converted to a Stryker unit, will be moved from the current Redmond armory to the new location, as it requires more space for its larger vehicles.

Planners for the new readiness center are striving to make it an environmentally friendly facility.

“We’ll be looking at renewable energy opportunities, to include solar or other opportunities that will be available during the time period that we do this construction,” Hutchison said.

The new project is estimated to cost about $25 million in total.

The agency plans to seek federal construction funding from the National Guard Bureau in March. If approved for federal funding, construction would begin during the 2027-29 biennium.

The department has to submit their application for federal construction funding on the Future Years Defense Program, for approval by the National Guard Bureau.

Once the existing armory property is no longer being used by the Oregon Army National Guard, it reverts back to the city.

The 20-acre sale is part of a of a 940-acre deal that the Oregon Department of State Lands is negotiating.

Ali Ryan Hansen, communications manager for DSL, listed benefits from the collaboration on the sale.

“We’re going to get an expansion of the Deschutes County Fairgrounds," she said. "We’re going to see more large-lot industrial land that’s going to attract those family-wage jobs. And of course, you’ve got your readiness center, which is going to help the whole state bounce back after a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake."

The DSL would also swap 140 acres with the county for expansion of the fairgrounds.

The remaining acres would go toward becoming industrial property.

Revenues from the sale will benefit the Common School Fund, which supports K-12 public education across Oregon.