JEFFERSON CITY — Working to bring together the state of Missouri in support of locating the new headquarters of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) West in the City of St. Louis, State Senator Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, has presented a resolution in support of building the new site in north St. Louis before the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee.
“The site in north St. Louis is the best location to meet the needs and mission of the NGA,” said Sen. Keaveny. “It’s proximity to necessary facilities including the airport and existing NGA sites and to the current NGA workforce – 70 percent of whom live in Missouri – make north St. Louis the best choice for the new headquarters.
“As the deadline for naming a new location approaches, I encourage my constituents in the 4th Senatorial District – as well as people from every corner of the state – to let their voices be heard in support of this opportunity.”
Although four sites are being considered, elected leaders agreed to, and have put all their support behind, the north St. Louis site. St. Charles City and the St. Louis County Council, along with St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger, have all publicly expressed their support for the north St. Louis location.
“This is the preferred location for the NGA as we seek to rebuild north St. Louis through jobs, safety and more economic development opportunities,” added Keaveny.
Due to aging buildings, limited room for expansion and increasing security concerns, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency West Campus Headquarters (NGA West), now located in the southern area of St. Louis, is currently considering a site in the region for a new facility.
The NGA is the nation’s primary source of geospatial intelligence for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Intelligence Community. It provides support to U.S. national security and defense as well as disaster relief. It will provide 3,100 jobs with an average salary of $83,000 a year, and annual earnings tax revenue for the city of an estimated $2.4 million. During construction, there are expected to be as many as 5,200 construction jobs available. Both the short-term and long-term economic development potential of this project will leave a positive impact for years and generations to come.
Over the past 11 months, the Next NGA West project team has been studying the potential social, economic and environmental impacts of a proposed NGA location at each of the four proposed sites.
For more information, visit Sen. Keaveny’s official Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/keaveny.