ST. LOUIS — National, state and local leaders celebrated the official opening of the $1.7 billion National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s north side campus Friday, calling it a new era for the agency’s more than 80-year partnership with the St. Louis region.
“We look forward to our growth together,” NGA Director Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth said.
Friday’s ceremony was years in the making, from when federal officials began scouting for new locations more than a decade ago to the selection of the St. Louis Place neighborhood in 2016 to the groundbreaking in late 2019 — though its origins here trace back to World War II.
“This moment has been a long time coming,” said Tulsi Gabbard, the director of National Intelligence.
Many of the key leaders involved in the effort were in attendance, including former Sen. Roy Blunt, former St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, former U.S. Rep Lacy Clay and interim leader of the St. Louis Development Corp., Otis Williams.
NGA employees are expected to begin moving to the new campus in the coming months, mostly from the agency’s existing site near Anheuser-Busch Brewery 5 miles south.
Geospatial intelligence involves the collection and analysis of physical features and human activities around the world to keep military and government planners up to date with on-the-ground intelligence. With the rise of artificial intelligence and other technology, the industry is expected to play an even bigger role in defense, officials said.
“The work our people do in the intelligence community must be connected to the people we serve,” Gabbard said.
A lot is riding on the new campus for the St. Louis region. Boosters, political leaders and the business community are hoping the sprawling 92-acre complex at Jefferson and Cass will drive the region’s economic growth with the advent of new jobs, companies and, potentially, more residents.
“This will become a hub of economic development,” Blunt said. “It will happen.”
NGA already has spurred new initiatives in the lead-up to its opening, including the Taylor Geospatial Institute, launched in 2022 with backing from Andy Taylor to aid industry collaboration; GeoFutures, a “roadmap” created by the St. Louis business lobby to spur industry growth; and the multimillion-dollar revamp of the Globe Building on Tucker Boulevard to cater to the industry, including specialized space called sensitive compartmented information facilities, or SCIF, where classified information can be shared between the government and private companies.
Leaders on Friday also highlighted the importance the region’s universities will play in helping the region and NGA remain competitive.
“The next generation is key,” said U.S. Rep Ann Wagner.
Leaders also emphasized the need to recruit talent to the industry as officials deal with a “deluge of data,” said Whitworth.
The campus was built by the McCarthy HITT joint venture, which features Des Peres-based construction firm McCarthy Building Cos.
The new campus features a 700,000-square-foot office building, two parking garages, a visitor center.
Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox!
Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Steph Kukuljan | Post-Dispatch
Real estate and development
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today