Lt. Colonel Matthew Smith with the 48th Infantry Brigade in Macon says the construction for their new 57,000-square-foot headquarters should start by the end of September.
He says the $10 million to $15 million project will take between 18 and 24 months to complete. He believes the construction will have a large economic impact on Macon and central Georgia.
Smith says that's why the brigade invited members of Macon city council to tour their current facility on Tuesday and discuss their upcoming expansion. He says the brigade wants to build stronger relationships with local elected officials as well as the community.
He says, "We've been here, technically, since 1825 in one way or another, and we have not done a very good job of letting the stakeholders in the Macon and Bibb County area know about us."
Macon Mayor Robert Reichert says, "It's so important that the city recognize the contributions that these citizen soldiers and, collectively, the 48th Combat Brigade are making to our country, while at the same time helping to develop our local economy."
The brigade will continue to use the current headquarters on Shurling Drive as classrooms and office space. Smith says that building was originally designed as a school for blind students, so they needed a larger space that could better accommodate training in technology, combat, and emergency readiness.