St. Cloud National Guard Armory Gets $6.5 Million Facelift

(KNSI) – The Minnesota National Guard readiness center in St. Cloud has undergone a multi-million dollar facelift to modernize its facility to support the National Defense Strategy.

The building was upgraded to improve functionality, safety, and sustainability features.

The main entrance was relocated and now includes a double door vestibule, expanded locker rooms, and an elevator. The kitchen was also remodeled, and new office space was created by enclosing a courtyard.

The old armory was built in 1962 and lacked good insulation. The $6.5 million project added rigid foam insulation to all of the exterior walls and the underside of the roof surface, which helps with heat retention. The windows were also replaced, and the ventilation system allows for the building to be more pressurized. Both of which will reduce drafts found in older armory buildings.

The building also has a thermal storage cooling system, which runs at night to freeze 1,300 gallons of water. During the day, those ice blocks are used to cool the building, reducing the energy demand, and are designed to run off-peak to save money.

Solar panels were also added to take care of a small portion of the building’s electricity needs.

Half of the money for the upgrades came from the most recent bonding bill from the Minnesota State Legislature, and the other half came from the federal government.