|
Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Governor Beshear Opens Ft. Knox Human Resource Center
FORT KNOX, Ky. – Governor Steve Beshear joined Fort Knox leaders and legislators today to formally open the Human Resource Center of Excellence, the Lt. General Tim J. Maude Building. It is the largest office building in the state, designed to serve the influx of soldiers and civilians locating to the area thanks to the Army’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) at Fort Knox.
“Despite these extraordinarily difficult economic times, we have continued to find ways to support the needs of Fort Knox,” said Gov. Steve Beshear. “Every soldier at Fort Knox, whether active duty or reserve, will receive services based in this building. This is an important day in the new life of Fort Knox.”
The building is named in honor of Lt. General Tim J. Maude, the highest-ranking military officer killed in the Sept. 11 attacks. The Maude building covers nearly 900,000 square feet and will employ nearly 4,300 soldiers and civilians. Project managers expect the building will earn LEED Silver certification, one of the highest marks for energy efficiency.
The Maude building is one of several completed major construction projects due to BRAC. The realignment at Fort Knox is expected to create approximately 7,800 new military and civilian jobs, and will move 7,700 family members to Kentucky by the end of 2011.
One of the largest BRAC relocations, the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division, is complete. The Brigade moved its 3,400 soldiers and their families from Fort Hood, Texas into mostly new facilities on post this year.
The anticipated economic impact of BRAC on the region and state is significant. An analysis by the University of Louisville showed BRAC would increase payroll at Fort Knox by $332 million to more than $1 billion annually, with tax revenues projected to increase 40 percent.
BRAC Support Continues
Since the BRAC announcement in 2005, Kentucky has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to renovate schools, build roads, expand water and wastewater projects and construct other critical infrastructure to successfully support the fast growth in the Fort Knox area. Governor Beshear included more than $150 million in additional BRAC support in his biennial budget proposal, which was supported by both the House and Senate.
“Kentucky is proud to be an able partner in this project, as well as the entire BRAC initiative,” said Gov. Beshear. “It’s not only a wonderful economic opportunity but also another way for Kentucky to contribute to the success of the nation’s military.”
The Governor appointed a Military Task Force on Base Realignment and Closure in 2008 to supplement the state’s efforts in expediting the federal governments BRAC recommendations. The Task Force determines what remains to be done to support growth in the region, reviews what has already been accomplished for the realignment and confirms that current transportation and infrastructure projects are on schedule.
Some major infrastructure projects, such as road construction, were fast-tracked in order to accommodate the thousands of soldiers and civilians moving to the region.
###
|