The State Land Board today approved the sale of 20 acres in Redmond to the Oregon Military Department for a new readiness center.
The new center, which would replace an existing 65-year-old armory, would serve as both a training facility for the Oregon National Guard and an essential facility for supporting the community during emergencies.
“When constructed, this new readiness center will be a resilient facility that is more capable of surviving, and being a local and state asset, during an earthquake or other natural disaster,” Stan Hutchinson, OMD director of installations, told the Land Board.
The $1.66 million sale is part of a broader collaboration between the Department of State Lands, OMD, the City of Redmond, Deschutes County, and other partners.
The overall 945-acre project includes expansion of the county fairgrounds and creation of new large-lot industrial land that’s expected to attract technology businesses and bring more family-wage jobs to Central Oregon.
