Tyler

By CINDY MALLETTE Staff Writer Tyler is in line to get a $29 million Armed Forces Reserve Center, one of six scheduled to be built in Texas.

U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, ranking member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that the full committee approved the Fiscal Year 2009 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill on Thursday. The bill is now ready to go before the Senate for a vote.

“As the top Republican that wrote this bill, Sen. Hutchison is in a strong position to deliver this funding all the way through,” said Matt Mackowiak, spokesman for Sen. Hutchison’s press office. “It’s in the Senate bill … The money’s in the pipeline, and we expect that Tyler will be able to receive funding for the Armed Forces Reserve center.”

The bill sets aside $29 million for the Reserve center in Tyler. Other cities designated to get a Reserve center are Abilene, Lewisville, Round Rock, San Marcos and Amarillo. Mackowiak said money appropriated for these centers ranges from $22 million to $41 million.

“We are very pleased to hear of the proposed project to be located in Tyler,” said Mayor Barbara Bass. “We are hopeful that the measure is approved by the Senate and the project comes to fruition.”

State Sen. Kevin Eltife said the economic impact of Tyler’s Reserve center will be great for the city’s economy.

“I’m very excited about the prospect,” he said. “It will be extremely good for economic development within Tyler and throughout East Texas.”

Tom Mullins, Tyler Economic Development Council president, agreed.

“I think its good news for Tyler and it comes at a good time,” he said. “Whenever you get these types of installations, you get federal dollars flowing through your economy.”

The Reserve center may be located on a 25.5-acre parcel of land on the west side of Tyler, according to Mullins, who said he’s been in touch with a landowner who’s already in negotiations with the U.S. Department of Defense.

“That’s just one site I’m aware of,” Mullins said. “There may be other sites.”

Mackowiak said the Department of Defense will select the final location within Tyler. He said the DOD hasn’t determined exactly how the Reserve centers will be used or the time frame in which they’ll be built.

The appropriations legislation funds military construction projects for the U.S. Department of Defense. Mackowiak said he expects the Senate to vote on the bill sometime between July and September.

“Our reserve forces play an integral role in the War on Terror,” Sen. Hutchison said in a prepared statement. “This funding will help provide modern facilities and resources for our reservists.”