The decision to build a new facility came after a series of planning studies showed it would be less costly, quicker and less disruptive to NGA's mission to build a new facility rather than upgrade NGA's current facilities. It has not yet been decided what will happen to NGA's current campus, which is owned by the US Air Force, when NGA vacates.

The new facility will include office space, parking garages, a visitor's center, an inspection facility and control access points. The facility, which is designed to achieve a LEED Silver certification for environmental sustainability, is expected to be completed and fully operational by 2025. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is managing the construction on behalf of NGA.

"The new campus will be a secure, flexible, cutting-edge intelligence facility that will put NGA in the heart of St. Louis' growing geospatial ecosystem and help NGA take advantage of its biggest strengths, its people and partners," said NGA director Vice Admiral Robert Sharp. "NGA has been proud to call St. Louis home for the past 70 years. I'm excited to see what NGA's people and partners in the St. Louis region can accomplish together for the next 70."

McKee has plans to develop the remaining acres around NGA that includes a total of 3 million square feet of office, 2 million square feet of retail, 1 million square feet for tech, 3,000 market-rate residential units and a primary care hospital. A new ZOOM C-store/gas station and GreenLeaf Market have already been completed within the development.

The NGA project will employ more than 3,000 people.

Since learning of NGA's plans to build in North St. Louis, geospatial intelligence firms MAXAR Technologies of Colorado and T-Kartor of Sweden have opened offices in The Globe Building in Downtown St. Louis. McKee also has plans for a GEOINT Village and Healthworks Village in the Innovation District to attract more geospatial intelligence firms to St. Louis.