Officials say Fort Bragg will get an additional $81 million in federal stimulus funds to pay for renovations and repairs of offices, runways and fire stations.

The money is in addition to more than $30 million announced in March, The Fayetteville Observer reported Wednesday.

Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-NC, said the funds are important to keep military facilities in shape and will help the economy.

Base officials said the projects have been on a list of needed repairs but there never was money to complete them. The fund list also includes $1.9 million to repair a wharf at the military ocean terminal near Southport in Brunswick County.

"These are the types of projects that have been long overlooked but much needed," McIntyre said. "This is important not only for our military but also for our economy. This is just the type of shot in the arm that we need to help at a critical juncture in the modernization, upgrading and building for the future at Fort Bragg."

Part of the money will be used to renovate an old school to house two new commands that are coming to Bragg before their new $288.5 million headquarters building is completed.

Funds also will be used to repair runways at Simmons Army Airfield and Camp Mackall. Money also will pay for repairs at fire houses on the post.

All of the projects have been identified in the past as needs at Bragg, said Steve Smith, acting deputy director of public works.

"We just never had the dollars to complete them," Smith said.

Stimulus funds also will be used to renovate buildings while units are deployed at a cost of $26 million, restore barracks at a cost of $6 million and repair and replace bridges at a cost of $7 million.

Subcontractors and suppliers will come from the Fort Bragg region, said Rob Harris, chief of Fort Bragg's engineering division..