The coldest days of January did little to slow the progress of construction on the $11.96 million transient training brigade headquarters project at Fort McCoy, according to a Feb. 3 update by Ken Green with the Army Corps of Engineers Program Office at Fort McCoy.

It was in early January that steel framing for the new building began going up, and through the month the team with contractor L.S. Black Constructors has continued to make progress despite several days where snow fell and where weather temperatures were well below-zero.

Green said in the update that ongoing work includes deck concrete preparations, steel stud framing, slab placements, and more. Current project completion stands at 13 percent.

Overall, the contract for the project, totaling $11,964,432.87, was awarded June 9, 2022. Construction operations began in August 2022.

As noted in previous articles, Master Planner Brian Harrie with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works (DPW) said the brigade headquarters project is based on the denser, more consolidated footprints of Fort McCoy’s Troop Housing Area Development Plan which states fewer, multiple story buildings allow facilities/functions to be sited closer together, allowing for a more walkable training environment, as well as saving money on utilities.

The smaller footprint of the brigade headquarters building plan builds less impervious surface, which generates less stormwater runoff that requires less stormwater management features and allows for additional cost savings.

The floor plan also is based on the “Operational Readiness Training Complex” standard design and additional square footage has been included in this project to accommodate stair and elevator access to the second floor.”

Harrie said the smaller footprint of the brigade headquarters building plan builds less impervious surface, which generates less stormwater runoff that requires less stormwater management features and allows for additional cost savings. The floor plan also is based on the “Operational Readiness Training Complex” standard design and additional square footage has been included in this project to accommodate stair and elevator access to the second floor.”

Green said at the beginning of the project that the project includes the latest, state-of-the-art systems for fire protection and alarms and video surveillance as well as Energy Monitoring Control Systems. Also, antiterrorism and force protection measures will be incorporated. And throughout the entire project, sustainability and energy efficient technology will be incorporated.

Overall, including this building and the two barracks already built, eight new buildings are planned for the entire 1600 block, Harrie said. The plan is to build four barracks buildings, the three 20,000-square-foot brigade headquarters buildings, and one 160-room officer quarters.

“The 1600 block will be completely transformed when all of this construction is completed years from now,” Harrie said. “The 1600 block is a great location for this transformation, too, because it places these facilities for transient training troops near the post’s service-related facilities, such as the Fort McCoy Commissary, Fort McCoy Exchange, and McCoy’s Community Center.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently designing two brick-and-mortar projects for fiscal year 2023, too, Harrie said. One is the third (of four) four-story barracks in the 1600 block and the other is the officers’ quarters. These are also based on the outcomes of the 1600 Block Transient Training Campus Plan.

Award of both projects is also planned sometime possibly for fiscal year 2023, Harrie said.

Construction projects like this during the fiscal year also plays a role in the economic impact the installation has on local economies. According to the Fort McCoy’s Plans, Analysis and Integration Office, in fiscal year 2021, Fort McCoy’s total economic impact for that fiscal year was an estimated $1.93 billion. A similar impact for fiscal year 2022 is expected.

“FY 2021 operating costs of $249.88 million included utilities, physical plant maintenance, repair and improvements, new construction projects, purchases of supplies and services, as well as salaries for civilian contract personnel working at Fort McCoy,” states a story about the economic impact prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office in 2022. “Other expenditures accounted for $36.25 million and covered $332,635 in payments to local governments (including land permit agreements, school district impact aid, etc.) as well as $35.9 million in discretionary spending in local communities by service members training and residing at Fort McCoy.”

The current contract completion date of the brigade headquarters project is planned for December 2023, Green’s update states.

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