Construction operations continue in December 2022 on $11.96 million transient training brigade headquarters at Fort McCoy

Photo By Scott Sturkol | The construction area for a future transient training brigade headquarters in the 1600 block on the cantonment area is shown Dec. 13, 2022, at Fort McCoy, Wis. A contract, totaling $11,964,432.87, was awarded June 9, 2022, to L.S. Black Constructors to build the fiscal year 2022 Transient Training Brigade Headquarters project at Fort McCoy. Construction operations began in August 2022. Location of construction is just across the street from where the same contractor has been building two new transient training troop barracks buildings in the same block. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, which is managing the project, the brigade headquarters project is based on the denser, more consolidated footprints of Fort McCoy’s Troop Housing Area Development Plan. The project will include 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. The plan is to build four barracks buildings, the three 20,000-square-foot brigade headquarters buildings, and one 160-room officer quarters. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES

12.15.2022

Story by Scott Sturkol                                                                                              

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

Construction on a future transient training brigade headquarters in the 1600 block on the cantonment area continued steadily in December 2022 at Fort McCoy.

As of Dec. 15, contractor L.S. Black Constructors was building scaffolding to begin more progressive work despite a overnight snowstorm from Dec. 14-15, and workers continued work all around the grounds.

In a Dec. 9 update by Ken Green with the Army Corps of Engineers Program Office at Fort McCoy, he said that ongoing work includes footing and stem wall placement, backfilling of foundations continued, and other work remains steady as construction completion remains at 1 percent.

The contract for the project, totaling $11,964,432.87, was awarded June 9, 2022, to L.S. Black Constructors to build the fiscal year 2022 Transient Training Brigade Headquarters project. Construction operations began in August 2022.

According to Master Planner Brian Harrie with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works (DPW), 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 the project will include 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 brigade headquarters project, just like the barracks construction projects in the block, also will be managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The following timeline, according to Harrie, is how changes have taken place to get to the current status:

— 2010: The first brick and mortar barracks in the history of Fort McCoy were built on post (building 2840).

— 2011-2012: Fort McCoy DPW developed a Troop Housing Master Plan to replace all the existing World War II-era wood buildings on the west side of the cantonment area (blocks 1600-2800). This included all transient training barracks, dining facilities, and transient headquarters buildings (company, battalion, and brigade). This plan proposed 70-plus new brick-and-mortar buildings (total) to replace the hundreds of World War II-era wood buildings in that area used for annual training, mobilization, and weekend drills.

— 2012-2018: Built three U.S. Army Corps of Engineers standard design, brick-and-mortar dining facilities (buildings 1672, 1872, and 2472), based on the conclusions developed in the 2012 Troop Housing Master Plan.

— 2019: Fort McCoy DPW finished the 1600 Block Transient Training Campus Plan, composed of four barracks, three brigade headquarters buildings, and one officers quarters. All eight of these buildings (a small component of the 70 buildings developed in the 2012 Troop Housing Master Plan) are based on U.S. Army Corp of Engineers standard designs.

— 2019: Awarded the first (of four) four-story barracks in the 1600 block, based on outcomes of the 1600 Block Transient Training Campus Plan. Construction was completed in April 2022.

— 2020: Awarded the second (of four) four-story barracks in the 1600 block, based on outcomes of the 1600 Block Transient Training Campus Plan. Construction scheduled for completion in December 2022.

— 2022: Construction on first (of three) brick-and-mortar transient training brigade headquarters buildings in 1600 block to start based on outcomes of the 1600 Block Transient Training Campus Plan.

— 2022-2023: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently designing two brick-and-mortar projects for FY 2023, 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 planned for fiscal year 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.

• Date Taken: 12.15.2022
• Date Posted: 12.15.2022 17:09
• Story ID: 435298
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US