Overland expects spurt in jobs with opening of Ag Department operations center
Suburban Journals
April 13, 2011
By Scott Bandle
Job openings for the US Department of Agriculture National Operations Center in Overland will be posted at www.usajobs.gov. Enter "agriculture" and "Overland, MO" in the search bar for all available positions. A few jobs are posted now, but the majority will be posted this summer. The center is expected to open for business Aug. 1, 2011.
A simple headline on Overland's website indicates some good news for job seekers. It reads: "To apply for jobs at the USDA office in Overland."
The notice explains when and where jobs will be posted for the new U.S. Department of Agriculture National Operations Center, which will open in August. The center will have about 350 full- and part-time workers.
The notice also is good news for the city. The new center at 9700 Page Ave. will open in the same facilities that held the National Personnel Records Center. The records center, which contains the military files of millions of people, will start moving later this year to a larger site in Spanish Lake.
The new USDA National Operations Center will be the hub for collecting and analyzing agricultural information from 46 field offices throughout the U.S. The information gathered includes production figures for food and fiber, prices paid, farm wages, demographics and other statistics.
For Overland, it means the old facility is going to stay open for business and will not shut down.
"It's great news for us because we don't have to go through any steps for the site's redevelopment," City Administrator Jason McConachie said. "It won't sit vacant, either, which is good for the city's pride."
The government is transferring workers from across the country to work at the new facility. Overland hopes that some will opt to settle down and live in the city.
The new center was dedicated during a March 28 ceremony led by Tom Vilsack, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. The government is planning a five-year $35 million renovation of the facility's interior to make it more environmentally friendly. It also will demolish a warehouse building used to store files.
"This opens up to a lot of different possibilities," Mayor Mike Schneider said. "We've campaigned to have a Metro station open behind the center. This center will bring workers into this area. It can do a lot of good things for everybody."
The federal government plans on bringing more agencies to use the facility. The names of the agencies have not been announced. The USDA will use the top two floors of the five-story building, McConachie said.
Overland will benefit from the sales taxes on food, gasoline and other items bought by the center's workers. McConachie had no estimate how much Overland might make.
"One difference is there was a commissary with the old records center," he said. "After the renovation, there will be no commissary. Workers will have to go out and eat."
The new operations center is a breath of fresh air during this tough economy, said Nancy Harrison of Jenah Realty and president of the Overland Business Association.
"You almost feel like the direction is turning," Harrison said. "This is something you can hang your hat on. It's not just the center. I've seen more activity on the real estate market than the past two or three springs. It's good news."
In 2007, the General Services Administration announced plans to move the records center to Spanish Lake. The GSA is the federal agency that oversees the physical facilities used by the government.
"About six months ago, we met with the GSA about its plans on what to do with the building," McConachie said. "They told us that they will maintain the building as part of President Obama's directive to consolidate federal office space to save money."
No private businesses will be developed for the site.
