Timothy L. Hale
Army Reserve Public Affairs
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – The final steel beam was lifted into place on the joint U.S. Army Reserve Command/U.S. Army Forces Command headquarters building at a ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009, just five days shy of the one year anniversary of the ceremonial groundbreaking.
“It was a sense of pride that we’ve gotten this far in a year,” said Daniel Davis of watching the last beam go into place. Davis is the resident engineer from the Savannah District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “It’s a sense of accomplishment that we’re going to finish this building on time like we promised our customers – USARC and FORSCOM.” He added the building is pushing 40-percent construction completeness.
The first piece of structural steel was placed on July 20, 2009, according to Adam Rogers, senior project manager for Hensel Phelps, the lead construction contractor of the project.
“In less than five months, we’ve laid the last piece of steel,” Rogers said.
Pre-cast 15-foot by 30-foot brick and concrete exterior wall panels are already being placed on the building. “We’ll start adding windows next week,” Rogers said.
For Sherrie Glass, the chief USARC BRAC liaison team at Fort Bragg, her work there is really going to start ramping up.
“Since I’m the G-1 representative, I’m getting a lot of human resources questions,” she said. “The canvas letters for our civilian workforce will be issued in March 2010. I’m anticipating the recruitment (for vacant positions) in the summer of 2010.”
Advanced parties from both USARC and FORSCOM will move into the J wing of the Old Bowley School across the street from the new headquarters.
Construction of the new joint headquarters was outlined in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) which called for the closure of Fort McPherson, Ga., the current home of both USARC and FORSCOM.
The $300M project includes the co-located headquarters and four information technology structures totaling 700,000 square feet.
Once completed, the six story facility will house approximately 2,800 military, civilian and contracting personnel.
Keeping in line with all new Army construction projects, the USARC/FORSCOM project will satisfy the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver criteria established by the U.S. Green Building Council. Under the criteria, the project will feature low-flow water fixtures, native landscaping, local vegetation, day-lighting, under-floor air distribution system and a high percentage of recycled content.
The new facility is changing the face of Fort Bragg and it is expected to be the cornerstone for future development on the post.
“The main headquarters building is going to be one of, if not the most prominent buildings on Fort Bragg,” said Catherine Bingham, Savannah District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project manager.
“These facilities reflect the significance of a four-star headquarters and are centered on the historic polo field. They will be the focal point of this district and all of Fort Bragg.”
The project is expected to be completed in time to meet the Sept. 15, 2011 BRAC guidelines. Both USARC and FORSCOM employees will start the move from Fort McPherson to temporary facilities at Fort Bragg early in 2011.
To view more photos from the event, visit the Army Reserve Flickr site at http://bit.ly/4vwymn.
