St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has not made a final decision on the St. Louis site for a new $1.75 billion NGA complex, and he is taking into consideration Illinois politicians' complaints that the Corps of Engineers’ site report leading to the decision confused counties in the two states.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., convened a meeting of members of the Illinois delegation here this week in which members planned how to challenge NGA Director Robert Cardillo's initial decision to locate the facility in north St. Louis. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, and Rep. John Shimkis, R-Collinsville, also attended.

After the meeting, the group issued a joint statement saying that its members still consider a site near Scott Air Force Base in St. Clair County as the best. NGA is soliciting public comments on its tentative site plan before a final decision from Director Robert Cardillo in early June. Politicians on both sides of the Mississippi River have offered either support, in the case of Missouri officials, or opposition, on the part of the Illinois delegation.