MILCON Bonanza
Military work breathes life into South Central economy
By Angelle Bergeron
Even with the economy prompting contractors to cross over to military from other segments, the competition for military construction is more selective.
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| The 141st Readiness Center for the Louisiana Army National Guard at Jackson Barracks was recently
completed by Woodward Design + Build of New Orleans. |
The various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces are doing their part to breathe some life into the construction industry in the South Central region during these tough economic times.
About 70% of the work for the New Orleans division of Walton Construction Co. of Kansas City, Mo., is military construction, or MILCON, says Bill Petty, president of the New Orleans division. But he adds that the competition for military construction is stiff.
“In addition to the high quality and safety standards that are expected, the government is on the leading edge of sustainable practices and LEED initiatives, which all mirror our principles at Walton,” Petty says.
Walton currently holds contracts for a $60-million package of work at the Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse, La., and a $202-million contract for 16 barracks and four energy plant renovations at Fort Polk in Leesville, La.
The contractor received the notice to proceed for the Fort Polk project in January and anticipates completion in August 2012.
The work includes renovation of barracks buildings and central energy plants that were all built in the 1970s and hadn’t been renovated since, says Brad Roberts, Walton’s project executive. The barracks will be totally renovated with modern, energy-efficient materials, including polished concrete slabs.
“We are exposing some aggregate, dying it and sealing it to make the slabs maintenance-free for life,” Roberts says.
The work includes installation of 20 mi of underground piping necessary for running the new, hot and chilled water-distribution pipe to the 74 housing and administrative buildings on the base.
“The existing base has been here since World War II, and as-built information for the base is virtually nonexistent,” Roberts says.
In order to dig the trenches, Walton surveyed the route for the pipe and is performing ground-penetrating radar to find existing utilities. Roberts says that once crews started digging, “we have hit something everyday. In some cases, the existing utilities will have to be re-routed.”
The project is a boon to employment in the area, with Walton anticipating using about 200 workers for each of the three phases.
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| Walton Construction currently holds a $202-million contract for 16 barracks and four energy plant renovations at Fort Polk in Leesville, La. |
“Some of our subs have actually purchased land and put up some housing complexes for employees,” Roberts says.
In Millington, Tenn., the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is funding construction of a $9.7-million Child Development Center at Naval Support Activity Mid-South.
Sherrick Construction Inc. of Nashville began construction of the 20,000-sq-ft center in September.
The building will have reinforced concrete foundations and floor slabs, steel frames, masonry veneer, standing seam metal roofing, gypsum board interior walls, mechanical systems, playground and parking.
Sherrick’s contract also includes renovation of the former CDC for Navy Band Mid-South; renovation of 4,000 sq ft of administrative office space for the Navy Criminal Investigative Service detachment; and demolition of more than 47,000 sq ft of 1950s structures.
The ARRA-funded project employs a Native American general contractor and several local subcontractors, says William Couch, public affairs officer with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Midwest.
The project will employ Tennesseans from the local area until project completion in July 2011.
Military work has been healthy since Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the Gulf Coast in 2005.
Broadmoor LLC of Metairie, La., concentrated most of its attention in the immediate aftermath of Katrina on municipal and private sector work, including renovation of the Superdome, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and public schools, says Catherine Hines, business development for Broadmoor.
In 2007 and 2008, Louisiana MILCON reconstruction added a lot of work for local contractors, especially those specializing in design-build delivery.
“Broadmoor has provided design and construction to the military for many years,” Hines says. “We already had contracts for the military that were under way and were optioned to be extended because of Katrina.”
Military construction now represents about 50% of Broadmoor’s business, Hines says.
In addition to designing the 141st Readiness Center for the Louisiana Army National Guard at Jackson Barracks (recently completed by Woodward Design + Build of New Orleans), Broadmoor holds a $40-million design-build contract for the recently completed Joint Forces Headquarters at Jackson Barracks.
Broadmoor designed and is building the $34-million Multi-Use Readiness Center and a $60-million Army Aviation Support Facility for the Louisiana Army National Guard in Hammond.
“We are in a Multiple Award Construction Contract at the NAS-JRB that is six projects totaling $56 million,” Hines says. The design-build contractor also holds a $75-million contract for the Coast Guard Integrated Support Command Relocation in New Orleans.
Broadmoor has smaller military contracts as well, including a $6-million F-15 CIRC Jet Engine Maintenance Facility and $8-million Calibration Lab at NAS-JRB. The only military work the contractor is currently performing outside of Louisiana is construction of a $9-million Riverine and Combat Craft Operations Facility at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for the Navy.
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| The Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Miss. is bustling with activity as Naval Facilities
Engineering Command Southeast works to fulfi ll its commitment to create “the New Gulfport,” part of a
$320-million Katrina recapitalization funding project. |
The Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Miss. is bustling with activity as Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast works to fulfill its commitment to create “the New Gulfport,” part of a $320-million Katrina recapitalization funding project, says Sue Brink, public affairs officer.
W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co. of Philadelphia, Miss., began construction in July 2007 on seven projects totaling $102 million at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Miss.
Projects include a 78,024-sq-ft bachelor’s enlisted quarters; 57,686-sq-ft fitness center; 45,294-sq-ft Navy Exchange complex; 14, 493-sq-ft security complex; 19, 276-sq-ft office building for the 22nd Naval Construction Regiment command and control staff; a new training hall; and storm-drainage improvements.
All of these projects are scheduled for completion on or before the second quarter of 2010.
Other NAVFAC projects in the South Central region include construction of a $6-million fire station at Bravo Field in Meridian, Miss., and a $13.7-million T-10 Jet Engine Test Cell at Naval Air Station Meridian.
A $19-million project to repair and renovate the Naval Technical Training Center in Meridian is under way with completion slated for February.
Work kicked off at the beginning of 2009 on the $6-million renovation of several buildings at the Naval Operations Support Center in Bessemer, Ala.
Contractors also are learning that all new military projects are designed to meet at least the LEED silver rating.
“The whole LEED process is still relatively new in South Louisiana,” says Steve Broyles, project manager for the Lemoine Co. of Lafayette’s $43.7-million contract to build a new Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge. Lemoine previously completed work as a subcontractor on a LEED Army National Guard Field Maintenance Shop in Hammond, but there still are challenges.
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| TOP: USACE SAM awarded B. L. Harbert International LLC of Birmingham, Ala., a $105.4-million contract to construct the Army Materiel Command and the U.S.
Army Security Assistance Command’s headquarters in Huntsville, Ala., at the Redstone Arsenal. BOTTOM: Broadmoor holds a $40-million design-build contract for
the Joint Forces Headquarters at Jackson Barracks in Louisiana. |
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“It’s difficult finding the right recycling facilities and locating certain materials within the specified radius,” Broyles says. He says other problems include educating subcontractors about documentation.
The Baton Rouge project is scheduled for completion in October 2010. The 23,000-sq-ft field maintenance shop – with four bays for military vehicles – and 150,000-sq-ft reserve center will accommodate the Marines, Army and National Guard, each with particular needs.
The project is on a 50-acre site adjacent to the Louisiana State University south campus. “Coordination with LSU has been a good process,” Broyles says. “They have been a good neighbor to have.”
EMJ Corp. of Chattanooga is constructing the $12-million Kingsport Armed Forces Reserve Center and Field Maintenance shop in Mt. Carmel, Tenn., for the Tennessee Military Department and Tennessee Army National Guard.
“The project is LEED silver, which is indicative of other military construction in Tennessee,” says Randy Harris, director, joint public affairs office, Tennessee Military Department.
“The purpose of the project is to provide up-to-date and proper training facilities to the soldiers of the Tennessee Army National Guard and the U. S. Army Reserves in an energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable facility.”
The project will incorporate a green/vegetated roof; skylights; geothermal heating and cooling; point-of-use water heaters; polished and stained concrete floor slabs; operable clerestory windows that reduce the need for electric lighting and circulate fresh air; pre-colored interior concrete block walls that eliminate the need for painting; permeable concrete paving; programmable thermostats and occupancy sensor lights; and dual flush toilets.
Besides LEED silver, design-build is becoming standard for much of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers vertical construction in the South Atlantic Mobile District, says public affairs spokesperson Lisa Coghlan. “We have pre-approved designs for certain construction and are seeing a lot of design-build for child care facilities, health and dining facilities and more,” she says.
In July 2008, USACE SAM awarded B. L. Harbert International LLC of Birmingham, Ala., a $105.4-million contract to construct the Army Materiel Command and the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command’s headquarters in Huntsville, Ala., at the Redstone Arsenal.
The six-story and three-story buildings both have basements and are connected by a common lobby. The project is scheduled for completion February 2011.
No other MILCON or Base Realignment and Closure projects are scheduled for award in the SAM in fiscal year 2009, Coghlan says.
“The FY-10 MILCON Appropriation Bill has not been passed, so no projects have been authorized or appropriated for FY-10 to date,” she says.
However, SAM will be awarding one more contract before the end of 2009 for construction of a Systems Software Engineering Annex at Redstone and a Small Arms Facility upgrade at Anniston Army Depot in Alabama, Coghlan adds.
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