National Guard moves to new location

The Nevada National Guard began moving into its new building Tuesday.

The 78,000-square-foot building at Fairview and Edmonds drives will be the state headquarters for both the Nevada Air National Guard and the Nevada Army National Guard. It will also house the 150th Maintenance Co. The building was named for Sen. Lawrence Jacobsen, R-Minden, who always supported the National Guard, said 2nd Lt. April Conway.

"He was a good friend to the Guard," said Conway, who is in the Air National Guard.

Jacobsen has served continuously with the Legislature since 1963. Before that, he served in the Navy for seven years.

Conway said the guard will be completely moved into the new building by Friday. The old building, at 2525 S. Carson St., will become the permanent location of the state's Division of Emergency Management, which previously occupied the downstairs portion of the building.

The old complex, built in 1971, was too small to support the National Guard. Many people were forced to work in trailers behind the old building, including a shed, which Conway said the guard affectionately called "the tin hut."

"It was a logistics nightmare," she said.

The Jacobsen Building will be much better, Conway said. The large, cinder block complex is substantially bigger, and Conway assured all the space would be occupied.

In the center of the building is a large room with a concrete floor, about the size of a roller skating rink. It will be used in part for drill exercises, Conway said. Offices occupy the second floor, and she joked they were large enough to play croquet in.

Several movers were busy moving in boxes and a few camouflaged-dressed officers were beginning to move into their offices, but for the most part the building was quiet. It will be a few days until the complex begins bustling with life.

Construction on the Jacobsen Building began in summer 2000, and early designs were drawn six years ago.

"It's been a long time coming," Conway said.

The $9.7 million complex is funded 75 percent by federal funds and 25 percent by state funds. The original estimate came in at $8.5 million.

Another building is also being built across from the National Guard building. The U.S. Property Book Fiscal Office will occupy the 35,000-square-foot building when it opens in about nine months.