Community News- First To Report
This just in. That big dig out going on at the Fairgrounds that so many of you have been asking about? That is a new Army National Guard facility. Here is the information that was just sent to us. A groundbreaking is happening tomorrow. See the information below.
The Oregon National Guard will host a groundbreaking ceremony for their new readiness center, August 21, at 1:30 p.m., at 3600 NE Veterans Drive, Hillsboro, Ore.
“This new readiness center will allow our Guard members to have a continued presence in the Hillsboro community, the same community in which they work and live,” said Brig. Gen. Alan R. Gronewold, Adjutant General, Oregon.
The event is free and open to the public.
The Hillsboro Readiness Center, a $30 million project, will enable Oregon National Guard mission success in the Hillsboro community for the next 50 years.
The new Hillsboro Readiness Center is located just one mile from the original Hillsboro Armory, which was built in 1954.
Media entities are encouraged to RSVP with Staff Sgt. Emily Simonson – Public Affairs, Oregon Military Department at 406-399-5671
For what does the Army National Guard expect to be ready?
I think we all feel what is happening here. 8 ICES Vans were “hunting” from someone in the Calle Diez section of Hillsboro night before last.
Coordinates with the visit in Portland today.
There is already a National Guard base next to the fair plex with buildings as old as the ones condemned on the fair grounds. Not to code and needing replacement. This new project is a replacement/upgrade to the existing facilities. Just like they replaced/upgraded the fair plex, this needs updating. Not a Trump program & not an ICE conspiracy. Funding was awarded in 2023 under the Biden administration, before Trump took office.
Yeah, sure……
You’ll notice that site isn’t where they’re building this. If they’d built on the old armory site to those specs, I doubt you’d hear half the comments you’re hearing now. But that isn’t what’s happening here: The funding was approved in 2023, the scope and location of the project definitely changed within the last year, and the county that’s losing amenities because of it should know why.
Totally agree – On Point!
The national guard is a major part of state level disaster relief. They are under the control of the governor and cannot be released to federal control without the governor’s approval.
That is the way it’s supposed to be, but Trump proved that wrong. He can declare any kind of emergency real or not and federalize the National Guard, just as he’s done in California.
And Washington D.C… more cities to come, just wait and see…
to keep eyes on you 😂😂😂
No more details?
1. Looks like it’s where the sports complex is? And did the displaced fields from the Hops build ever get replaced somewhere?
2. Is this part of Trump’s escalation use of our National Guard for domestic purposes? Funded from the huge budget for ICE passed in the Big Bill? I also ask as my daughter in law, in the National Guard based out of Salem, is being deployed to the Texas border in October for 14 months.
HOPS deal is not done for replacement and they are supposed to have new fields done and ready to use before the HOPS Stadium opens- no way that happens now.
This is great! I love the military and the individuals that sacrifice their lives for the American people ! They deserve the best of everything !
This is myopic, Most of the people who join the military sail under the radar for 4 years and do NOTHING, and get out with full benefits they do not deserve.
Plus these are national guardsmen. Weekend Warriors. Soccer moms with uniforms. And by nature of them being “here” they haven’t sacrificed their lives for anyone
You don’t get any benefit other than the college benefit after a term of service of just 4 years unless you serve during a time of war or complete an overseas deployment. Especially if you serve just 4 years in the guard. Without deployment, you don’t even get access to a VA home loan without doing a minimum of 6yrs
PA
Being a Veteran myself, I sacrificed 4 years of my life so you are able to voice your opinion without punishment. Under the radar you say? I spent 2 1/2 years in Germany ( away from friends and family ) after the extensive training I received. My Stepson sacrificed his life to an IED in Kandahar Afghanistan. What sacrifice have you made for you country?
That’s great, Jim: It doesn’t mean we should go plowing under ballfields because the Guard doesn’t like its old site.
they’re building this so they can attack americans, not protect them.
Depends on the reason, if it’s to use the National Guard against citizens of the United States. Very sad indeed
I like our neighbors. I believe they deserve the best of everything. I don’t see how plowing under ballfields for this accomplishes that… especially when there’s an existing armory site.
Agree!! On All points.
Also seems we are still short 3 fields from what the Hops new park displaced. Dirk gave an update to my question above.
Me Q: Isn’t Hillsboro where they displaced all those homeowners in order to build a data center. if so it makes sense that they are building a 30 million dollar national guard base there. it is starting to look like they are drawing a line. Protecting the data centers from the ones they are collecting data and taking water from.
AI A: Yes, Hillsboro, Oregon has experienced significant homeowner displacement and farmland loss due to the rapid expansion of data centers since around 2018. Many homes and farms were rezoned as industrial, often against the homeowners’ wishes, making it difficult for residents to get mortgages or sell their properties. This ongoing land buyout and demolition have transformed entire blocks to support data center development, leaving some families surrounded by industrial zones with little recourse and eroding local communities[1]. The boom in data centers has also fueled concerns over their immense water consumption, which exacerbates existing water stress issues in the region and has sparked controversy among residents about sustainability, public resources, and impacts on wetlands and wildlife[2][3][4][5].
In parallel, Hillsboro just broke ground on a new $30 million Oregon National Guard Readiness Center, intended to expand military capabilities in the area for the next 50 years. The project is presented publicly as a major infrastructure investment and community partnership, with significant storage and training facilities for National Guard units[6][7][8][9][10].
Your observation about “drawing a line” between protecting the data centers and the community reflects local anxieties over resource allocation and priorities. Many residents feel that essential resources—land and water—are being prioritized for tech infrastructure rather than community needs, while new military investment could be viewed as reinforcing these priorities[1][2][3][7][4][5].
Citations:
[1] How This Oregon Town was ERASED for Internet Ground Zero https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3NeM0SELVA
[2] Berkeley Technology Law Journal Podcast: Big Tech, Bigger Droughts https://btlj.org/2024/02/big-tech-bigger-droughts-the-battle-for-water-rights/
[3] Hillsboro Community Member Sounds Off On Data Centers … https://hillsboroherald.com/hillsboro-community-member-sounds-off-on-data-centers-governanace-and-more/
[4] Oregon Makes A Move On Data Centers And Consumer Rate … https://hillsboroherald.com/oregon-makes-a-move-on-data-centers-and-consumer-rate-increases-but-is-it-enough/
[5] Americans on alert as noisy data centers near their neighborhoods https://www.context.news/money-power-people/americans-on-alert-as-noisy-data-centers-near-their-neighborhoods
[6] FlashAlertPortland – Press Releases http://www.flashalertportland.net
[7] Army National Guard Breaking Ground In Hillsboro https://hillsboroherald.com/army-national-guard-breaking-ground-in-hillsboro-30000000-facility/
[8] Oregon National Guard Breaks Ground on New Hillsboro Readiness … https://www.dvidshub.net/video/974389/oregon-national-guard-breaks-ground-new-hillsboro-readiness-center
[9] Oregon Guard Hillsboro Readiness Center Groundbreaking … – DVIDS https://www.dvidshub.net/image/9270986/oregon-guard-hillsboro-readiness-center-groundbreaking-ceremony
[10] Oregon Military Department News via Flashalert.net https://www.flashalert.net/id/oremilitary
[11] An Oregon city asks: Is Google a good neighbor? – Fortune https://fortune.com/longform/google-data-center-the-dalles-oregon-water-dispute/
[12] How AI Data Centers Are Replacing Our Neighborhoods – YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwE3b476PkE
[13] Hillsboro should correct the mistake of providing tax break to data … https://www.reddit.com/r/hillsboro/comments/135cjl3/hillsboro_should_correct_the_mistake_of_providing/
[14] Data Centers Boom, Intel Falls, And Oregon Schools Go Bust https://hillsboroherald.com/data-centers-boom-intel-falls-and-oregon-schools-go-bust-1-2-billion-in-tax-giveaways-and-counting/
[15] The Hillsboro Data Center Fire: How Non-Flammable BESS Could … https://eticaag.com/hillsboro-data-center-fire-bess-safety/
[16] Oregon.gov : State of Oregon https://www.oregon.gov
[17] [PDF] 2023-2025 Agency Request Budget | Oregon Military Department https://www.oregon.gov/omd/Documents/OMD%202023-25%20Agency%20Request%20Budget.pdf
[18] Google seeks water and tax deal for data center expansion in The … https://www.deschutesriver.org/in-the-media/google-wants-a-lot-more-water-and-a-new-tax-deal-for-big-data-center-expansion-in-the-dalles
[19] [PDF] HB 5202 A BUDGET REPORT and MEASURE SUMMARY Carrier https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Downloads/MeasureAnalysisDocument/82761
Excellent info–thanks. Interesting to me that AI answer IS just what I have seen locally in Hillsboro. Haven’t used AI myself. #13: Here is another article just out yesterday finally giving some actual data on how much tax revenue is lost locally due to Oregon Business Property Tax Breaks. And highlights how much school districts have lost in particular. Also how much it has increased from 2019-2024. No surprise Hillsboro’s loses are about 1/2 of the State’s totals–as it primarily relates to Data Farms and Intel’s 30 year abatement (and I would say we by far have the most in Oregon). Scroll down towards the end of the article for Info specifically on Hillsboro.
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/08/21/oregon-property-tax-breaks-for-corporations-cost-schools-275-million-last-year-study-finds/
What are they building on the other side of the Hillsboro fair complex.
Let’s be honest, this is so obviously just a move towards more ICE collaboration and National Guard on the Hispanic population in Hillsboro. People think this wouldn’t fly in Oregon, but they mistake thinking that Portland is representative of Oregon. And in fact this is one of the most racist, or at best *xenophobic places I’ve ever lived (near hillsboro)
I echo some of what you are saying – the reality is different then the construct of public policies and statements. An example is saying we are a Sanctuary City, but not backing that up by even the simplest of directions to our hard working police force. As ICE Vans searched the much celebrated Calle Diez section of Hillsboro, HPD was not allowed to approach or ask what they are doing or who they are looking for. We must remember we have had an armory here for 50 plus years. It is a small one, and it was not lost on me that Tom Hohman was here in Portland the same day the press release and ribbon cutting went down. It all seems a little too much right now. But, many are celebrating with glee!
Yeah we are celebrating. There are laws for a reason when I broke a law I went to prison, getting a free ride home isn’t really a punishment as everybody seems to think it is.what happened on the southern border was an invasion plain and simple. Just because a corrupt administration encouraged it to get votes doesn’t change that fact.
Was this not made public beforehand? I also was not aware of the ICE vans- I have no doubt there would be people out there protesting and taping-
Wow, a lot of ignorance about the military and Guard on here. Maybe do your research before commenting. Our family is a retired military family and I am beyond grateful for the sense of purpose and community it provided for us. Was it perfect? No, but I am proud that we answered the call even when it was hard.
God bless our Military all branches, keeps our Country and State Safe. Thank you for your service and and all you Do.
Dan
Location to too close to transients. Too much human traffic next to location which creates a security issue.
Dumb location.
Would needs a solid wall to mitigate peering eyes.
I hope the architect possess the intelligence to use shielded lighting that meets Internation Dark Skies Association for all outdoor lighting because that location is right next to a neighborhood. Also, outdoor lighting should be 4,000 Kelvin or less. 5,000 Kelvin is prison light. No one wants prison light glaring into their yards. Personally if I saw a naked bulb, I would use a pellet gun and shoot out the bulb.