NEW ULM — Minnesota National Guard Adjutant Gen.Shawn Manke will join New Ulm Mayor Kathleen Backer for a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday for the second phase of the new readiness center that will replace the present New Ulm Armory built in 1914.

The public ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the New Ulm Armory located at Broadway and 2nd Street North before moving to the groundbreaking site at 2100 Palmer Avenue. Backer and Manke will be the guest speakers.

Phase one of the modernization effort in New Ulm began in 2022 with the opening of a new $11 million field maintenance shop. That facility tripled the size of New Ulm’s 1950s era facility.

Phase two features a new readiness center next to the maintenance shop. The new armory with more than 40,000 square feet of space will include classrooms, a fitness center, learning center, LED lights, solar panels, and a hybrid heat pump mechanical system is estimated to cost $20.7 million. Construction is planned to be complete in 18 months.

“Designed to house approximately 215 personnel and nearly 90 vehicles, the new readiness center will serve as a valuable resource for our soldiers and community,” Manke said.

“It meets the MNG’s (Minnesota National Guard) organizational priority of modernization as we continue implementing energy-efficient and green processes into constructing and designing new and existing facilities,” Army Lt. Col. Adam Riedel said. He is the Minnesota National Guard construction and facilities management officer commented on the new armory to be built.

The City of New Ulm purchased 30 acres of land for $1 million on the west edge of New Ulm several years ago in preparation for the new facility.

The new readiness center could mean bringing in several times as many soldiers as the existing armory can handle, according to the Minnesota National Guard.

The Minnesota National Guard is also examining all possibilities regarding the future of the old New Ulm Armory.