Time Capsule Sealed on National Archives Recognition Day
St. Louis - Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has declared today as National Archives and Records Administration Day in the State of Missouri to recognize the construction of the new National Personnel Records Center at 1829 Dunn Road in North St. Louis County.
The announcement comes as Missouri Senator Kit Bond, Congressman Lacy Clay, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley and other government officials gathered at the construction site to seal a 75-year time capsule.
"The time capsule is scheduled to be opened in 2085, on the 100-year anniversary of the National Archives and Records Administration," said Jason Klumb, Regional Administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration, the agency responsible for brokering the new records center deal on behalf of the federal government.
The time capsule contains various documents and items of historical significance to the project and the new records center, including construction documents, a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol, and the Governor's proclamation pronouncing today as National Archives and Records Administration Recognition Day.
"With the construction of this state-of-the-art facility, we will have a building that will store the most requested records in the nation in the proper climate and physical conditions," said David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States. "We will also have a facility that will allow the public to experience history first-hand in a modern research room and in public meeting spaces for conferences, workshops and education programs."
The National Personnel Records Center maintains more than 110 million military and civilian personnel files with billions of pages of U.S. history. Those files, currently housed in aging federal facilities in St. Louis, will be relocated to the new building in 2012.
"This is an exciting day for St. for North St. Louis County. Not only are we retaining 800 important jobs, but the world-class building will be a national treasure for our country," said St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley. "I am grateful to U.S. Senators Kit Bond and Claire McCaskill, Governor Jay Nixon and U.S. Congressman Lacy Clay for their unyielding support."
The new facility will be constructed and owned by the Las Vegas-based Molasky Group of Companies. Bus service is planned for convenient public access, as well as 700 on-site parking spaces for workers and visitors.
For more information, please contact:
Susan Cooper, National Archives Director of Public Affairs, (202) 357-5300, susan.cooper@nara.gov
Wanda Williams, National Archives and Records Administration, (314) 801-9313, wanda.williams@nara.gov
Charlie Cook, U.S. General Services Administration, (816) 823-1043, charles.cook@gsa.gov
Nancy Schnoebelen, St. Louis County Economic Council, (314) 615-7663, nschnoebelen@slcec.com
