September 2024 construction operations of fiscal year 2022-funded South Barracks Project at Fort McCoy brings project to 45 percent complete

Photo By Scott Sturkol | The construction area for a new $28.08 million barracks building is shown Sept. 5, 2024, at Fort McCoy, Wis., as progress on the facility continues. The contractor for the project, BlindermanPower (Construction), received the notice to proceed with construction on Sept. 26, 2023, and has 780 calendar days to complete the project. The project requires building a four-story, 60,000-square-foot barracks about to house 400 people. Two other barracks of the same specifications have already been built in the same block at the installation since 2019. Overall, it is part of a big transformation taking place at the 1600 block that includes the building of four barracks — two of which are already done, three brigade headquarters buildings, and two planned transient training officer quarters, according to the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works. This project is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers and as of mid-September 2024 the project was 45 percent complete. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES

09.19.2024

Story by Scott Sturkol                                                                                             

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

Work on the fiscal year 2022-funded Transient Training Troop Barracks Project, also referred to as the South Barracks Project, at Fort McCoy has jumped to 45 percent complete thanks to work completed by the contractor into September 2024.

The contractor BlindermanPower (Construction) got the contract to build the facility in June 2023 at just over $28 million.

In his Sept. 13 update, Ken Green with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resident Office at Fort McCoy, said the progress of the project is 45 complete and doing well.

“Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing rough-in continued,” Green wrote in the update. "Interior steel stud framing continued. Interior spray foam continued. Interior sheet rocking continued. Interior blocking continued. Interior sound batting continued. Interior finishing continued. (And) masonry continued."

He also stated that work on the roof was ongoing and making strides. Previous news articles have stated the statement of work for the project states the contractor will make the building be made of “permanent construction with reinforced concrete foundations; concrete floor slabs; structural steel frames; steel stud infill; masonry veneer walls; prefinished standing seam metal roofing; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning capabilities; plumbing; mechanical systems; and electrical systems. Supporting facilities include land clearing, concrete sidewalk paving, general site improvements, and utility connections.”

The building also is being built with the latest in construction materials and include state-of-the-art physical security and energy-saving measures.

The contract duration is scheduled for completion in 780 calendar days, Green said. “The current contract completion date is Oct. 2, 2025,” Green also wrote in the Sept. 13 update, too.

The South Barracks Project is the third large barracks to be built on Fort McCoy in the last five years. It’s part of the continuing transformation of the 1600 block of the cantonment area of the installation that improves quality of life on the post for decades to come as well as serves as a basis of transformation for the future, officials said.

Projects like this also play a part in supporting the economic impact to local economies around Fort McCoy. When looking back the last five years, Fort McCoy’s economic impact has continuously been $1 billion or higher every year to local economies. In FY 2019 it was $1.18 billion, all the way to FY 2023’s $1.38 billion.

Installation leaders have said in the past that the economic impact of Fort McCoy is a “driver of the economy” because of millions of dollars from contracts and new construction as examples. Learn more about Fort McCoy’s impact by checking out the installation’s 2024 Executive Summary at https://www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/71646.

In May 2022, when the first of the four barracks was dedicated and opened, Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works Director Liane Haun served as the master of ceremonies for the ribbon-cutting event. Haun said the new barracks was only the second brick-and-mortar barracks built on post since 1942 and was historic.

“Today is another historic moment at Fort McCoy as we assemble to cut the ribbon on the second permanent transient training barracks building at Fort McCoy since the Fort McCoy (cantonment area) was constructed in 1942,” Haun said. “I have witnessed several ribbon-cutting ceremonies in my time at Fort McCoy, and each one brings great satisfaction to see the fruits of everyone’s labors come to fruition.”

With every bit of progress on this project, more history is made. Former Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Michael Poss also praised the completion of the new barracks in 2022 and other commanders have also reiterated his sentiment since.

“Today’s ribbon cutting signifies the economic importance of Fort McCoy to Wisconsin, this region, and our nation,” Poss said at the May 2022 event. “This barracks project us also part of the Army’s effort to ensure our Soldiers have an excellent quality of life when they come here to train. In recent years, we’ve continued to ensure our nation’s Soldiers and other service members have a modern and relevant installation in which to train.”

Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.”

Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.

The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.”

Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”

• Date Taken: 09.19.2024
• Date Posted: 09.19.2024 13:55
• Story ID: 481310
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US