National Guard Readiness Center and property value question

[Charley F.]

I am wondering how the creation of a National Guard Readiness Center will affect the value of the property in the area.

Here is the information we found in regards to the project:

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ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2014) – The future of the National Guard in South Florida became more apparent recently, as construction moved forward on a new multi-million dollar readiness center north of Miami.

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A “notice to proceed” for construction was issued on Jan. 21 for the 104,000-square-foot Miramar Readiness Center, located on the Snake Creek Training Site in Southern Broward County.

Conceptual drawing of the Miramar Readiness Center. Image courtesy Florida National Guard CFMO

Florida National Guard Construction and Facility Management Officer Lt. Col. Mark Widener said that site work has begun on the facility, and is scheduled for completion in late 2015.

The $19.9 million project is funded with Military Construction (MILCON) funds for Fiscal Year 2013.

When completed, the two-story building will include traditional National Guard facility features like an assembly hall, storage spaces, platoon areas, and offices. The design will also be highly energy efficient and meet the “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED) Silver certification rating set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The four units that will call the Miramar Readiness Center their new home are three units from the 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Charlie Company, and the Forward Support Company) and the 13th Army Band.

Widener pointed out that the new Miramar Readiness Center will alleviate overcrowding issues these units face in their current facilities, especially for the infantry units that were based in the Robert A. Ballard Armory in Miami. He also said the new center would give the Florida National Guard a greater footprint in south Broward County and north Miami-Dade County.

“Strategically this puts a major facility on the northern fringes of Miami-Dade,” Widener explained. “This puts us in a better posture to handle any type of emergencies that would happen in the Miami-Dade area…This site could be vital as a Logistics Staging Area if you had a hurricane go through.”

The new facility will be constructed on approximately 30 acres of the southern portion of the 322-acre Snake Creek Training Site.

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Looking forward to hear your comments.