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Construction of the Minnesota National Guard Luverne Readiness Center has progressed as scheduled since the December 2021 groundbreaking.
For the first four months of 2023, however, construction slowed, according to project manager Kelly Sandborg with Brennan Companies of Mankato.
“The winter was horrible with all the storm events,” he said last week. “Wind, snow — winter didn’t want to give up.”
Despite the weather delays, construction of the nearly 47,000-square-foot readiness center is on track for an August finish.
Sandborg said the weather primarily delayed work on the landscape, which will resume soon.
The $17.5 million building on West Koehn Avenue near I-90 will be the new home of the Alpha Battery, 125th Field Artillery Regiment this fall.
The facility features an assembly hall, work bays, storage areas, classrooms, administrative offices, fitness center, kitchen and locker rooms.
“This project is a unique one with the KAHR Foundation,” said project manager Justin Skogland with the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs. “It (the $6.2 million KAHR contribution) increased the footprint of the assembly hall or drill floor.”
When not in use by the guardsmen, portions of the readiness center will be available for community use, a role that has been limited in the current armory on Freeman Avenue in Luverne.
At 10,716 square feet, the assembly or drill hall is a third larger than those included in the traditional armory floor plan.
The hall will be striped for three basketball courts and two volleyball courts. Permanent pickleball courts will not be included.
The Luverne readiness center is the first of its kind to be built with federal, state and private funds.
The KAHR Foundation is the philanthropic organization of Jeannine Rivet and Warren Herreid.