TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -- Preparations are underway to modernize thousands of square feet of the largest building on the depot.
A five-phase project set to begin in 2015 will involve the reconstruction of the first floor and mezzanine, including the electronics enclosure, of Building 1A. More than 210,000 square feet will be updated. Building 1A comprises 348,440 square feet and is part of Building 1, which is about 1.15 million square feet and houses 61 percent of the depot's missions.
"Constructed more than 50 years ago, the maintenance and mission operation center has never received a major modernization," said Garth Shull, chief of the Public Works Directorate's (DPW) Engineering Division. "As the center of productivity for electronics workers, planners, production controllers, quality improvement specialists and engineers, the facility is a critical link in Tobyhanna's overall efforts to support the warfighter."
When the modernization is complete, Tobyhanna will have a facility with a more reliable and efficient infrastructure.
"The power distribution system will be upgraded to current industry standards," said Pete Moore, a mechanical engineer in DPW. "Lighting will be reconfigured and upgraded to provide brighter LED lighting while using less electricity. The existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system will be upgraded to a state--of--the--art chilled water system. There will be new plumbing, new everything. It will be as close to a complete demolition and reconstruction as we can get without physically demolishing the building structure."
According to Interior Designer Abigail Crismon, the project was designed with careful consideration to green building technologies such as LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) to enhance the energy efficiency of the building systems while respecting the environment. She works in the Productivity, Improvement and Innovation (PII) Directorate's Industrial Modernization Division (IMD).
Modifications to the interior layout of the mezzanine area will improve access between areas and overall workflow. The Electronics Enclosure will have a raised floor that can be easily reconfigured for changing mission needs.
Special consideration is also being given to provide a high quality work environment, which meets Aerospace Standards 9100/9110 certifications and electrostatic discharge requirements, while continuing to meet production schedules, Moore said.
Moore noted that the modernized facilities will provide employees with quality of life improvements such as increased natural lighting, more productive workspaces and greater flexibility of reconfigurations due to workload changes.
"These, along with many other planned changes, will help Tobyhanna continue being the leader in C4ISR electronics," he said.
The first phase will involve the mezzanine and first floor on the north side of 1A. The second phase will be the Electronics Enclosure (those missions will be moved to Building 1B Bay 5, which is also being prepared as a temporary home for the Electronics Enclosure employees) and the second floor mechanical room. The third phase will be modernization of the corridor that leads from the main entrance of 1A to the U area and remaining portions of the mezzanine. The fourth phase will be the installation of a cafeteria in the space now occupied by the Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Support Center, which will move to Building 12. The fifth phase will be modernization of the Guardrail mission area.
"A project of this magnitude reflects Tobyhanna's dedication to quality as it relates to the facilities, the work force and ultimately the warfighter," said Crismon. "It is through the modernization of our prime facilities that the depot is able to maintain a reputation of excellence."
In order to maintain employee safety and efficient construction, a significant portion of Building 1A occupants will be relocated. Production Engineering, Production Management and PII directorate personnel will be moved to Building 2 bays 1, 2, and 3. Facilities are now being prepared there to act as swing spaces to house those employees while Building 1A is under construction.
"The Building 2 bays are being converted from warehouse space into a fully operational administrative office environment," said Jim Secoolish, a civil engineer in DPW. "The converted space will have more than 100,000 square feet of state-of-the-art open office space, conference centers, large classrooms, private offices, break spaces, and a fully functional cafeteria and seating area."
About 450 people will be relocated in stages to the Building 2 swing space starting in mid summer, Secoolish said. Employees will work in the swing areas until the end of the third phase, which is estimated for completion in 2018. The entire project's estimated completion date is 2019.
Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna's Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C4ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
Tobyhanna's unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, technology insertion, modification, and global field support to Warfighters.
About 3,500 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., the command?'s mission is to research, develop, acquire, field and sustain communications, command, control computer, intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors capabilities for the Armed Forces.
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