The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has opened its $1.7 billion Western Campus at Jefferson and Cass Avenues in St. Louis. The facility is the largest federal investment in St. Louis history. Local businesses in Old North and surrounding neighborhoods, including Crown Candy, observed the opening, as per KSDK.
The new campus begins the relocation of approximately 3,000 NGA employees from the agency’s previous site near the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. NGA West executive Bill Caniano told St. Louis Magazine that teams will move in stages overnight to minimize operational interruptions, with the move expected to be complete by next March.
According to St. Louis Magazine, the building includes features such as windows to provide natural light, contrasting with the agency’s previous Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), which had no windows. Former chief artificial intelligence officer Mark Munsell noted in an interview that employees previously worked extended hours without natural light during winter months.
Caniano also told St. Louis Magazine that the Western Campus will dedicate about 20 percent of its space to unclassified operations, allowing collaboration with universities, pre-college programs, and technology partners. This follows NGA’s earlier efforts with Moonshot Labs.
FOX 2 Now reported that the NGA’s new facility at Jefferson and Cass marks the start of a major shift of over 3,000 workers to the new location from its historic site near the Anheuser-Busch Brewery.
