Morganton Regional Readiness Center

In 2017, the North Carolina National Guard received $23.33 million from the $2 billion Connect NC bond package to renovate the old Western Youth Institution for a National Guard training facility. The vision for the new regional training center is to provide quicker responses to state emergencies and improve readiness for military deployments.

During the planning phase, it was determined that it would cost more to renovate the 16-story existing detention center and bring it up to current building codes than demolishing it and building a new facility. The new center would also be more energy efficient than renovating the 1972 structure.

The new Morganton Regional Readiness Center consists of three buildings – a 66,000 SF regional readiness center, an 8,000 SF general purpose training bay, and a 4,000 SF unheated storage building. The readiness center design includes two connecting wings with an assembly hall, offices, meeting areas, locker rooms, a fitness area, classrooms, storage, and support areas. The site also includes a footprint for a future helipad and a solar power field.