The Wisconsin Army National Guard held a ribbon-cutting for its newly renovated and expanded armory in Appleton, September 28, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — An 18-month renovation and expansion of the Wisconsin Army National Guard armory in Appleton is complete.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house was held Thursday.
The $15 million project nearly doubled the available floor space, now at 49,074 square feet, and increased storage, training resources, parking, and administrative offices.
The armory is home to the headquarters company and leadership for the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment of the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. This unit traces its lineage back to the Iron Brigade of the Civil War, and also took part in the Spanish American War, World War I and World War II, the Berlin Crisis and the Global War on Terror.
Lt. Col. Bill Benson, Battalion commander of 127th Infantry, says it has been incredible see the project from beginning to end.
“It’s been great over the past 11 years watching this project move from requirement building, to concept, numerous design reviews, execution and finally this incredible product we have here before us. This is our first major MilCon (military construction) project that we’ve done in over a decade,” he said.
Photographs and murals on the main corridor walls convey the battalion’s history, and carved stones from the 1904 College Avenue armory are displayed beneath glass under the entryway floor. A custom-designed and lighted photo of the unit in formation from 1897 is displayed in the hallway leading to the drill floor.
While parts of the old armory remain, the entire floor plan is new and all of the interior of the armory are new. New roofing was placed over the entire facility, and high-efficiency equipment governs temperature, air quality and water boilers.
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