SANDSTON (WSLS 10) - The Virginia National Guard said Friday it secured the site of the former Botetourt Correctional Center to establish a readiness center in the Roanoke area.
The Guard said it accepted the property and recorded the deed June 15. It's something many in the military have been pushing for since the Virginia National Guard left the Roanoke Armory in 2009 after being in the spot near River's Edge for more than five decades. The National Guard is often called on to help our area with snow, floods and other emergencies.
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The Guard was looking at two sites in Roanoke for the center. The site it chose in Troutville has a total site area of 56.5 acres and is located at State Drive and Route 651, east of I-81 and north of Roanoke. It is adjacent to a Virginia State Police shooting range and a Virginia Department of Transportation regional maintenance facility.
The Guard said it will use the existing facilities of the former correctional center to accommodate administrative, logistical and operational activities with minor alterations, and has the funds to begin initial phase of the work.
A final decision has not been made about which units will move into the facility. The final timeline for moving units and Soldiers into the new readiness center has not been established, but could be as early as October 2016.
The Botetourt Correctional Center closed in the winter of 2010 and was declared surplus state property. It was transferred to the Virginia National Guard at no cost.