*The announcement was that the city would offer the 99-acre site to the federal government at no cost, matching the price offered by St. Clair County, IL.
___________
With the announcement of a decision on the next location for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency headquarters pushed back to April 1, and a line in a federal budget request matching the cost of land adjacent to Scott Air Force Base proposed by St. Clair County, IL, the City of St. Louis has announced it will make a “Major NGA announcement” on Monday.
At stake is 3,000 existing jobs located in St. Louis City, and a new $1.6B project planned as the NGA’s home for the next century. From our previous reporting: The City of St. Louis has been lobbying hard to keep the next NGA headquarters within the city limits. Even though two additional sites are officially being considered in St. Louis County, the city site recently earned the endorsement of St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger. The fourth site is located near Scott Air Force base in St. Clair County, IL.
[Click here for nextSTL coverage of the new NGA]
City of St. Louis press release on “Major NGA announcement”:
MONDAY: Federal and State Leaders Join Mayor Slay for Major NGA Announcement
WHAT: Following a private meeting with National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Director Robert Cardillo this morning, Mayor Francis Slay will be joined by federal, state, and local leaders on Monday to make a major announcement regarding the City’s ongoing efforts to retain the NGA.
WHO: Mayor Francis Slay
Governor Jay Nixon
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt
Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay
Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed
Comptroller Darlene Green
St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger
State Senators and Representatives
Community Leaders
WHEN: Monday, March 7, 2016 @ 10 a.m.
WHERE: St. Louis City Hall
Room 200 (Mayor’s Lobby)
1200 Market Street
St. Louis, MO 63103
MORE ON THE PROJECT:
The NGA is expected to name its desired site on April 1, 2016, to move its 3,100 employees to a new $1.75 billion facility. As outlined in the final edition briefing book, the City of St. Louis is offering a well-connected, 99-acre urban site at the intersection of N. Jefferson and Cass Avenues. The Next NGA West video also highlights how St. Louis can continue to help the NGA meet its mission, just as it has done for the past 72 years.
“I was very pleased to share with Director Cardillo the City’s commitment to the NGA and to demonstrate how the City of St. Louis is the best location for the federal agency to continue to meet its mission,” Mayor Slay said following Friday morning’s meeting. “From our proximity to current employees and the next generation NGA workforce to a ready-to-go construction force and our connection to the type of high-tech facilities on which our national security will rely in the future, St. Louis is stepping up to the plate for the NGA.”
The proposed NGA site is located within a federally-designated Promise Zone and Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) initiative.
The City’s project also has garnered prominent letters of support, including those from U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill, Roy Blunt, and Kit Bond (retired), Gov. Jay Nixon, St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger, and the NAACP and AFL-CIO, to name a few.
“The many benefits to the future of both St. Louis and NGA are immeasurable, promising, and exciting,” Mayor Slay said.
