Gary Armory gets approval for renovation which will benefit STEM program for fifth-graders

INDIANAPOLIS – State Rep. Charlie Brown (D-Gary) said the State Budget Committee gave its approval for the renovation to begin in the interior of the Gary Indiana National Guard Armory.

The approval came during the committee’s meeting on the Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne campus.

The 3,000 square feet of underutilized storage will be transformed into administrative space, which will become the home to the Adjutant General Office’s STARBASE program for 5th graders.

“It will be exciting to have a STARBASE program in Gary,” said Rep. Brown. “The Department of Defense (DoD) funds this special program. It is a five-day, 24-hour STEM program centered on real life applications to acquaint and generate the interest of 5th graders in academic areas like the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“These fields offer great career opportunities,” continued Rep. Brown. “In addition, our country needs to focus these outstanding, young minds on these critical subject areas in order to compete in the world’s economy and make scientific breakthroughs that will help find cures for cancer, sickle-cell anemia, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and other diseases.

“The STARBASE program has been successful in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and South Bend,” added Rep. Brown. “I am confident it will be a great success here as well. I am so pleased to see underutilized storage space transformed into an area that will expand the minds of these young people and get them excited about STEM subjects that will literally change the world.”

The renovated space will include classrooms, conference rooms and new offices. The $338,560 cost of the project will be shared equally by the Adjutant General Office’s Construction Fund and federal funding through the DoD.

The Gary Indiana National Guard Armory is home to the 113th Engineers. It also is a Family Assistance Center for Military Families. In addition, personnel from the Hoosier Youth Academy, the Family Readiness Support, the National Guard Employment Cell, and the Military Honors section are all based at the armory.