Jindal announces $25 million investment in Fort Polk

Fort Polk will be expanded with $25.2 million in capital outlay funds and Community Development Block Grants over the next three years, which Gov. Bobby Jindal says could bring as many as 2,000 new jobs to the Leesville area. Infrastructure improvements, including sewers, water lines, lift stations and roads, will occur in tandem with the Fort Polk expansion of 100,000 acres, increasing the post’s training footprint by 50%. It is expected to be the largest Army land acquisition in decades. The infrastructure projects will occur in two phases, with the first taking about 18 months and the second another two and a half years. “Fort Polk is the second-largest employer in the state, and this expansion could bring an additional 2,000 jobs to the area,” says Jindal, who was in Leesville Thursday to announce the expansion. “This is the kind of investment that will benefit not only the men and women who train here to defend our freedom, but also help grow the economy of the Central Louisiana region in a big way. We expect a substantial return on investment from these improvements, which will also help our chances of adding a new, full brigade to Fort Polk.”