Virginia National Guard breaks ground on project to bring new aviation support facility to Henrico
VENN
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia National Guard broke ground on Monday for the first phase of a project to bring a new aviation support facility to the Sandston area of Henrico County.
On Monday, March 31, the Virginia National Guard broke ground on the first series of projects to construct a new Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility in Sandston.
(Photo courtesy: Paul Nevadomski, 8News)
(Photo courtesy: Paul Nevadomski, 8News)
(Photo courtesy: Paul Nevadomski, 8News)
(Photo courtesy: Paul Nevadomski, 8News)
According to officials, the first project will build half of an 11,000-square-foot helicopter parking space for the Virginia National Guard's UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopters, as well as a 22,000-square-foot hangar and a 3,100-square-foot operations building for the UH-72 helicopters.
The estimated $49 million project is expected to be completed in 2027.
Other projects to follow the first project's completion will include the construction of maintenance shops, an unheated aircraft storage area, an aircraft maintenance hanger, a flight operations space and an aviation fuel station.
Major General James Ring, Adjutant General of Virginia, said the new facility will support the 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division which is trained in aerial fire suppression.
"So our current aviation support facility only meets about 50% of our requirements to do the maintenance on our helicopters, as well as to support the operational training," Ring said. "This new facility will be to 100% design."
According to officials, the current projected construction supports the movement of all aircraft and flight operations by the end of the lease of the Virginia National Guard's current facility -- which is located near the Richmond International Airport -- in 2032, with the total cost for the entire new facility estimated at $250 million.
The Virginia National Guard said the new facility will support a total of 27 UH-60 and UH-72 helicopters and one C-12 aircraft.
