Photo By Joseph Siemandel | Brig. Gen. Dan Dent, Commanding General of the Washington Army National Guard shows...... read more read more
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When the Washington National Guard Armory in Snohomish opened the doors in 1955, the town surrounding the 14,000 square foot facility had a population of only 3,000 citizens. Since then – the population has nearly tripled and as the city has grown, so has the need for major renovations to the almost 70-year-old facility.
“The Snohomish Armory is a critical location for the Washington Army National Guard. We recruit extremely well here, the unit is intertwined with the city and the armory needs to be a place the community can come to and host events and learn about the amazing things they do,” said Brig. Gen. Dan Dent, commanding general of the Washington Army National Guard. “We are very excited for this project and how it can help grow the 176th Engineers.”
On May 18, 2022, Rep. Brandy Donaghy, who represents the 44th District in Washington’s Legislature, which includes Snohomish and Lake Stevens visited the armory to learn about the $6 million renovation and the unit’s mission.
During the visit she saw the future plans for the armory, which will include modernizing the existing offices, new flooring, heating and cooling systems, lighting, fitness room, classrooms, computer labs and storage areas. The facility will also include a lactation room, now becoming standard in all new Washington Army National Guard facilities.
“The Snohomish Armory project is an unspecified minor military construction project to modernize the facility and will add approximately 6,000 square feet to the facility,” said Adam Iwaszuk, director of the Construction and Facilities Management Office. “This is our first unspecified minor military construction project in more than ten years.”
The project will be paid for primarily by the federal government, which will support 75 percent of the costs. The state will pay for the rest.
“Projects like these don’t have a large price tag, but they are highly critical for ensuring we are giving our soldiers and airmen the best facilities to work out of,” said Dent. “They expect that now and we need to ensure that we are doing just that.”
The 176th Engineer Company, a stand along vertical engineering and construction company, has enjoyed its home in Snohomish for many years and have been there when the community was in need. In 2014 the company deployed about 30 minutes up the road to Oso following the State Route 530 Landslide. The unit has also supported numerous fire seasons and flooding operations as well as the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response. Additionally, the unit has taken part in several community restoration projects including renovating the Northport visitor center, a playground in Rogue River, Oregon, renovating a church at North Fort Lewis and next year will take on an upgrade project at Bowers Field in Ellensburg. The unit has also deployed to Iraq numerous times since Sept. 11, 2001 and has been integral in the Washington State Partnership Program building schools in the Kingdom of Thailand.
“This unit is just so special and I am so excited we can continue to be right here in Snohomish as this community grows,” said Dent. “Our only ask is when this facility reopens their doors in early 2024 that the community comes and joins us in that special event.”
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.19.2022 17:14 |
| Story ID: | 421109 |
| Location: | SNOHOMISH, WA, US |
| Hometown: | SNOHOMISH, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 378 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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