Illinois Army National Guard Facility Coming to Heartland
By: Kim Behrens
Updated: September 11, 2012
NORMAL--The community college will soon be home to a brand new military training operation.
Eight million dollars in newly released state funding has made the project possible.
It'll be combined with 10 million federal dollars.
Guard members will use the building to sharpen their skills on a variety of domestic and international missions.
Those include firefighting, engineering, and national disaster assistance.
Heartland Community College President Dr. Allen Goben says the project not only supports military operations, it also helps the local economy.
"Once per month there will be a large training activity convened at the facility and on our campus. That will bring people all over Illinois into Bloomington-Normal and that should be a real boost for Central Illinois," explained Goben.
The project is expected to break ground at Heartland as early as October.
Construction is expected to create nearly 100 jobs.
Eight million dollars in newly released state funding has made the project possible.
It'll be combined with 10 million federal dollars.
Guard members will use the building to sharpen their skills on a variety of domestic and international missions.
Those include firefighting, engineering, and national disaster assistance.
Heartland Community College President Dr. Allen Goben says the project not only supports military operations, it also helps the local economy.
"Once per month there will be a large training activity convened at the facility and on our campus. That will bring people all over Illinois into Bloomington-Normal and that should be a real boost for Central Illinois," explained Goben.
The project is expected to break ground at Heartland as early as October.
Construction is expected to create nearly 100 jobs.
