by Sally Rigione
USACE, New England District
Where will the New England District headquarters call home in the future? What will the facility look like? How will the offices be designed? Anticipated amenities? Timeline for the move? These were a few of the questions that were discussed on Nov. 28 at a brown bag luncheon hosted by Scott Michalak, senior program manager of the new headquarters building renovation project. Since his appointment Michalak has been immersed in plans for the District’s new facility and wanted to share information with teammates.
During the briefing Michalak gave a quick update and history of the work already completed:
- The existing lease at Concord Park has been extended until March 2023;
- Early on a feasibility study was conducted in coordination with General Services Administration and culminated with a recommendation to acquire facilities on Hanscom.
Michalak said this process allowed Plant Replacement and Improvement Project funding authorization to be received in January 2017 to move the District onto Hanscom Air Force Base for at least the next 50 years. “From a government financial standpoint, it was cost effective to move into a newly renovated facility on the government air base as opposed to leasing the private facility we now rent just outside of Hanscom’s fence,” said Michalak.
The New England District will assume control of two buildings in the former Air Force Research Laboratory campus at Hanscom. Buildings 1109 (a three story building) and 1107 (a two story building) will be renovated for the new headquarters. The square footage will be about the same as Concord Park; however, the design of the new facility hasn’t gone forward yet. Utilizing the natural light that comes through the windows will be key in that design element. Both buildings were built during the Cold War era, in the 1950’s, and on the timeline environmental testing is planned to ensure that any possible asbestos, PCB’s or lead are identified and removed for the safety of staff and visitors.
The project will involve major renovations of the facility once they are vacated by their current tenants. Major renovation estimates include: interior demolition of above ground floors to include walls and dividers in both buildings; roof rehabilitation and replacement on both buildings; new flooring; redesign of entryways; new wiring; electrical system upgrades; window replacements; asbestos abatement (if required); and a new sprinkler system in building 1107 were some of the initial feasibility level assumptions anticipated for the building.
Going forward, the next step is the design element, which should begin in 2018, and is anticipated to take about 18 months to execute. Michalak will work, as needed, with the State Historic Preservation Office and the Air Force to address and gain permits for any exterior changes to the historic structures.
The facility will be situated next to the Hanscom Conference Center building where meeting space can be reserved for larger events. Inside buildings 1109 and 1107 there are 12 conference rooms anticipated; standardization of all cubicle sizes is planned based on staff rank (employee; supervisor; office chief); break rooms on each floor will include sinks, refrigerators and sitting areas; and a cafeteria seating area is planned for the facility (but no food service in the building is anticipated, as there are many food options available currently on base.)
The timeline estimates construction will take about 18 months to complete. Construction is not planned to begin until early 2020 and will take about 18 months with furniture acquisition and placement allowing for an early 2022 occupancy.
Michalak will update the staff on the design, construction and renovation progress with bi-annual brown bag luncheons; and quarterly fact sheets and future stories in the Yankee Engineer. Anticipate that in 2022 the moving trucks will come to bring the District family to the next chapter in the New England District’s building history.
When the District moved to Concord Park in 1997, the then commander stated, “The New England District is not a building and it’s not a location. The New England District is us – wherever we are located.” Truer words could not have been said today.
| Date Taken: | 12.18.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.06.2018 14:58 |
| Story ID: | 264948 |
| Location: | CONCORD, MA, US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, New District Headquarters Update:Many workforce questions asked and answered, by Sally Rigione, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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