National Archives to Dedicate new Southwest Regional Records Center Facility, First Federal Electronic Records Vault Opens
Press Release · Friday, March 2, 2007

Washington, DC

National Archives to Dedicate new Southwest Regional Records Center Facility, First Federal Electronic Records Vault Opens

Fort Worth, TX…The National Archives and Records Administration will formally dedicate its new Southwest Region Federal Records Center in the Carter Industrial Park (1400 John Burgess Drive, Ft. Worth, Texas 76140) at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 2, 2007. Confirmed speakers include Fort Worth Councilwoman Kathleen Hicks, Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief, and Congressman Michael C. Burgess. The event will also feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a barbecue lunch. The ceremony is open to the press and by invitation to National Archives Southwest Region staff, community leaders, and guests from other Federal agencies.

The facility includes a 1000 square-foot, state-of-the-art electronic records storage vault that will allow Federal Records Centers, for the first time in their 57-year history, to store and service temporary electronic records for Federal agencies. This electronic records storage vault features a non-aqueous fire suppression system, strict environmental controls, and multiple levels of security. The new facility also includes a high-tech digital imaging lab for record scanning and a specialized media disintegrator to securely destroy Federal e-records.

“The new Federal Records Center is an exciting project for the National Archives as we modernize the facilities that house these important Federal records” said Preston Huff, the National Archives Regional Administrator for the Southwest Region. “This building reflects our recognition that the format of our Nation’s records has evolved from paper to a variety of electronic media. The National Archives stands ready to store and service these e-records from their creation to their destruction, just as we have for years with paper records.”

The 205,000 square foot building has a total storage capacity of nearly one million cubic feet of records. The new facility will replace the Federal Records Center currently located in the Fort Worth Federal Depot. The move to the new building is scheduled to be completed in October of this year.

The National Archives Southwest Region is one of 15 National Archives regional facilities nationwide. This facility serves 100 Federal agency customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Significant holdings include Federal records created by the regional U.S. District/Bankruptcy Courts, the Internal Revenue Service, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA—Johnson Space Flight Center), the Department of Energy, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of Homeland Security.

K/H Lakewood., LLC, greater Kansas City’s oldest commercial real estate company, developed the site. The National Archives and K/H Lakewood have entered into a 20-year lease for the building.

The Press is Invited to Cover the Ceremony. The site is located at 1400 John Burgess Drive (at the intersection of Oak Grove Road). The ceremony begins promptly at 11:00 A.M.

Directions: From downtown Fort Worth, take I-35W South to Exit #42 (Everman Parkway). Turn left onto Everman Parkway (look for the National Archives signs). Turn left onto Will Rogers Boulevard. Turn right onto John Burgess Drive.

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For press information, contact C. Preston Huff, Regional Administrator-Southwest Region at: 817-831-5627.

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