JEFFERSON CITY — Showing the continued support of the state of Missouri for locating the new headquarters of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) West in the City of St. Louis, State Senator Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, joined with Mayor Francis Slay, the governor and other elected state officials to discuss the effort to keep the NGA location in the area, and specifically North St. Louis.
At the event, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay announced the city would offer the land at no cost, should the NGA chose north St Louis for the location of the new facility.
“It is widely agreed that the site in north St. Louis is the best location to meet the needs and mission of the NGA,” said Sen. Keaveny. “The ability to offer the land to NGA at no cost, along with providing other services and amenities, we feel, makes it clear that St. Louis is the best site for the new NGA location.”
Its proximity to necessary facilities, including the airport and existing NGA sites, and to the current NGA workforce – 70 percent of whom live in Missouri – make north St. Louis the best choice for the new headquarters. Mayor Slay also announced the city has been looking into adding a north/south Metrolink line, which would go to the new NGA facility.
“This is the preferred location for the NGA as we seek to rebuild north St. Louis through jobs, safety and more economic development opportunities,” added Keaveny. “Leaders of this great state and the City of St. Louis really feel the north location is the best opportunity for everyone involved. We hope the NGA will take into account all of the advanced planning that has gone into these new announcements.”
St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said the St. Louis Police Department has been providing security for the NGA for 72 years. The department and its dedicated members are well versed in handling any and all needs that may arise in the NGA facility.
Due to aging buildings, limited room for expansion and increasing security concerns, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency West Campus Headquarters (NGA West), now located in the southern area of St. Louis, is currently considering a site in the region for a new facility.
The NGA is the nation’s primary source of geospatial intelligence for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Intelligence Community. It provides support to U.S. national security and defense as well as disaster relief. It will provide 3,100 jobs with an average salary of $83,000 a year, and annual earnings tax revenue for the city of an estimated $2.4 million per year. During construction, there are expected to be as many as 5,200 construction jobs available. The short-term and long-term economic development potential of this project will leave a positive impact for years and generations to come.
For a year, the Next NGA West project team has been studying the potential social, economic and environmental impacts of a proposed NGA location at each of the four proposed sites.
For more information, visit Sen. Keaveny’s official Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/keaveny.