An extensive grading project that began in early April around Fort McCoy’s building 2000 on the cantonment area to improve drainage in that area has seen a lot of work but more needs to be done, said General Engineer Gareth Ferguson with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works.

An $850,000 contract was awarded to RHI construction, Ferguson said, and Gerke Excavating of Tomah, Wis., has been working as a subcontractor on the project.

“This is to improve drainage around building 2000/2001 from the site down to Tarr Creek near the A Street and 10th Street intersection,” Ferguson said in April in a previous article.

Currently, he said the contractor has made a lot of progress improving the area.

“That project currently sits at approximately 60 percent complete,” Ferguson said in late June. “There is still some concrete work around the building and paving to be done in addition to final grading and some other work.”

The work around building 2000 will soon match the building after building 2000 itself was upgraded in 2018-19 with an approximate $5.1 million renovation. Work on the renovation began in October 2018 and was completed by contractor Platt Construction, also of Tomah.

Since its renovation, building 2000 supported operations for Operation Allies Welcome when it took place at the installation from August 2021 to February 2022, and it was a key facility in supporting a Mobilization Force Generation Installation mission in the summer of 2021 during the level III mobilization exercise Pershing Strike ’21.

That exercise included an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise, two units preparing for deployment, and additional units completing training to “stress” Mobilization Force Generation Installation capabilities, according to the Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security. Personnel used building 2000 extensively during that time.

Having construction projects like this completed with local contractors also supports local economies. Fort McCoy’s total economic impact for fiscal year (FY) 2022 was an estimated $2.52 billion, above the $1.93 billion reported for FY 2021, garrison officials announced in March 2023. The data was compiled by Fort McCoy’s Plans, Analysis and Integration Office.

Workforce payroll, operating costs, and other expenditures totaled $629.08 million for FY 2022 compared to $481.6 million for FY 2021.

FY 2022 operating costs of $391.46 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. Other expenditures accounted for $52.25 million and covered $339,994 in payments to local governments (including land permit agreements, school district impact aid, etc.) as well as $51.91 million in discretionary spending in local communities by service members training and residing at Fort McCoy.

Other factors of economic impact for the fiscal year included more than $42.5 million in military construction on post.

The Fort McCoy Executive Summary, available at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/FMPAO, also shows the installation makes continuous improvements to the post so the installation is at its best for troops to complete training. So, even a grading project to improve drainage next to an important building like building 2000 contributes to that effort.

“Throughout the last decade, Fort McCoy experienced unprecedented facility modernization, training area development and expansion, increased training and customer support capability, and improved quality-of-life opportunities,” the summary states. “From unmanned aerial vehicles to urban training facilities, to live-fire ranges and virtual-training environments, Fort McCoy is prepared to meet the training needs of the Army in the 21st century.”

Ferguson said the overall project should be complete by the end of summer 2023.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.