Photo By Capt. Jason Carr | Architect's rendering of the completely renovated 107th Attack Wing headquarters,...... read more read more
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NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y.- After 61 years the 107 th Attack Wing’s headquarters building is getting a rebuild.
A $19.4 million project to gut and rebuild the structure kicked off on April 16. The work is slated to be done in October of 2025.
“The building will be taken down to the structural steel and concrete foundation,” said Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Heinsler, the 107th Civil Engineering Squadron commander and project manager for this renovation project.
The finished construction includes all new building HVAC, electrical and lighting systems, all new walls, windows floors, and roof, Heinsler said.
The renovation will also include a four-level elevator which will provide all visitors access to the entire facility, which was lacking in the original design, he said.
The headquarters building was originally built in 1963. While it may have gone through some style and code updates, it has never seen a comprehensive renovation.
According to CE assessments on the building, the HVAC system was in extremely poor condition, nor did it even provide adequate control; the cooling tower nearly fell off and had to be propped up under a brand new I beam because the original one had corroded so badly. The roof is over 23 years old, and many windows and doors share the same vintage.
The list of “things gone wrong” continued to grow to include failing interior finishes, mission and work center reconfigurations, fire and generator systems not meeting standards, and even a missing elevator.
It’s a project that was first initiated over 16 years ago in 2008, and originally estimated to cost $10.4 million.
“I picked the project up as the Deputy Base Civil Engineer in November of 2017, when I came to the 107th , I’m uncertain why it was delayed for so many years” said Heinsler. “When we restarted the design efforts with the architects and engineers, we quickly realized that $10.4 million was not going to be a large enough program to meet the facilities renovation needs.”
The renovation being “taken down to the studs” isn’t an exaggeration.
“You’ll literally be able to see through the building, east to west, north to south,” said Heinsler.
Airmen will temporarily occupy a facility across the parking lot from the construction zone, which used to belong to the 107th when they flew the F-16 Fighting Falcon in the early 90’s.
While moving all the necessary equipment and furniture to a new location was an inconvenience, it was a necessary change for future 107th operations.
“It’s long overdue,” said Heinsler. “You look at the damaged exterior, the failing systems, the overall poor shape, this had to happen.”
| Date Taken: | 04.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2024 10:21 |
| Story ID: | 468933 |
| Location: | NIAGARA FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 439 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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