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The Future of the Benson Armory

Whether the former National Guard Armory in Benson will be torn down or renovated as a community center will be decided at the next meeting of the Benson City Council on Monday. A special session of the council met this past Monday to review renovation bids, with a low bid coming in at just over $1.5 million. Earlier projections put the cost of the project at over $2.3 million. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development granted Benson $678,000 in 2021 for the Armory’s renovation, although nearly $200,000 of that money has already been spent on engineering costs. The Swift County Monitor reported that Benson’s grant application noted the Armory could be used as an emergency management headquarters. The Armory was built in 1927 and features a 7,000-square-foot gymnasium. It was turned over to the City of Benson in 1993.