Photo by Deb Gau Plywood and signs at the entrance to the National Guard Armory in Marshall declared the building a construction zone. This summer, parts of the armory building have been demolished in preparation for a renovation and expansion project.

MARSHALL — There’s been a lot going on at the National Guard Armory in Marshall this spring. Plywood and construction signs blocked off the Armory’s entrances, while construction crews tore down some parts of the building.

It’s all part of work to renovate and add on to the Armory, renovation project manager Paul Kempton said this week. The roughly $10.9 million project had been in the planning stages for a couple of years before construction began, Kempton said.

The Armory facility was built in 1955, Kempton said. Today, parts of the facility no longer meet the National Guard’s needs. At the same time, some of the building’s mechanical systems are also at the end of their lifespan and need to be replaced, he said.

Part of the construction project will expand the Armory facility. The finished facility will have 24,900 square feet of space, compared to its original 15,400 square feet, Kempton said. The building will also be more accessible and have energy-efficient features. The boilers, mechanical systems and roof will all be replaced as part of renovations.

Construction began in April, and the plan is for the project to be substantially completed in the fall of 2025, Kempton said.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation also plans to begin a major reconstruction of College Drive in 2025. The highway project will include construction of a roundabout at the three-way intersection in front of the Armory. Kempton said MnDOT and the National Guard project would be working to coordinate during the road construction.

The renovation project at the Armory was an exciting one, Kempton said. “The renovations will not only serve the soldiers who drill here, but the community and the citizens as well,” he said.