WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Archives
and Records Administration (NARA), working through the General Services
Administration (GSA), today announced plans to lease a new built-to-suit
facility at 1829 Dunn Road in St. Louis, MO. The new facility will replace
the 1950s-era Military Personnel Records Center now at 9700 Page Avenue in
St. Louis and a portion of the Civilian Personnel Records Center on
Winnebago Road in St. Louis. Initial occupancy of the new building is
scheduled for March 2010.
The Dunn Road facility will house the National Personnel Records
Center, part of the NARA's Federal Records Center Program. The Center
contains 56 million personnel files of twentieth century military service
veterans, and 25 million Federal civilian personnel files dating from the
early twentieth century to the 1970s. All of these files are designated as
permanent, historic records. Each year, a portion of the military personnel
files are transferred from military services' ownership to the legal
custody of the National Archives, when 62 years has elapsed since an
individual's separation from service. Civilian personnel files will also be
accessioned into National Archives custody in the near future.
In addition to records storage, the new facility will contain public
research rooms, an archival preservation laboratory, public meeting rooms,
and staff offices. "The new facility is specially designed for the storage
of and access to archival records," said Archivist of the United States
Allen Weinstein. "It will meet strict standards for fire prevention,
security, temperature and humidity control, and air filtration. And that's
just for records! Staff and public visitors will also enjoy comfortable
work and research areas, ample parking, and public bus service."
The Dunn Road facility will be the busiest National Archives storage
and research operation, answering over one million requests annually for
access to or copies of records. Requestors seek to verify service, apply
for benefits, obtain medals, research medical conditions, and conduct
historical and genealogical research. Most requestors are military veterans
or their family members. The vast majority of requests arrive in the mail
or via NARA's web site at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/. On-site
visitation has been increasing, a trend that will likely continue at the
new facility.
Six hundred National Archives staff will work at the new building. Most
staff will transfer from the Page Avenue facility and some from the
Winnebago Road facility, both of which will close. Several other Federal
agencies will also use a small amount of space in the new building for
personnel records related work.
The Dunn Road facility will be the newest of NARA's 34 locations,
including 4 in the Washington DC area, 18 regional archives and records
centers, and 12 Presidential Libraries.
GSA announced separately that it had awarded a development contract to
Barry Real Estate Companies, Inc. of Atlanta to build the Dunn Road
facility. Skanska Construction of Atlanta will partner with Tarlton
Corporation of St. Louis to construct the 474,690 square-foot facility.
HKS, Inc. of Dallas is the lead architectural firm. 1829 Dunn Road is
located in northeast St. Louis County, adjacent to Interstate 270 and
Highway 367.
For media information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs
staff at 202-357-5300.
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