First Fort McCoy transient training barracks construction project surpasses 80 percent complete

Thanks to cooperative spring weather and steady progress, construction of a new multimillion-dollar barracks continues at a smooth pace at Fort McCoy.

Through April 16, the construction of the new barracks by contractor L.S. Black Constructors was more than 80 percent completed, said Ken Green with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resident Office at Fort McCoy in a weekly update.

Lots of interior and exterior work has been done over the past 30 days, Green said. Construction work has included masonry, interior sheet rocking and finishing continues, bathroom Dura-rock installation for tile continues, and a lot of painting is getting accomplished. Other work includes placing in more windows and ceiling grid installation.

The planned completion date for the barracks is currently later in 2021. The barracks, which is being built in the 1600 block on the cantonment area, is different than the traditional barracks located throughout the installation. This new building is four stories and will be able to house 400 people in approximately 60,000 square feet, Green said. The building is being completed with the latest in construction materials and will include state-of-the-art physical security and energy-saving measures.

The project is part of the Fort McCoy master plan that looks at continuously upgrading the installation’s infrastructure to be prepared for the future, said Master Planner Brian Harrie with the Directorate of Public Works (DPW). The project is the first of eight new buildings planned for the entire 1600 block. The plan is to build three more barracks with the same specifications, three 20,000-square-foot brigade headquarters buildings, and one 160-room officer quarters.

“The 1600 block will be completely transformed when all of this construction is completed years from now,” Harrie said. “The 1600 block is a great location for this transformation, too, because it places these facilities for transient training troops near the post’s service-related facilities, such as the commissary, Exchange, and McCoy’s Community Center.”

Harrie said this project and future projects for the 1600 block are a great example of how DPW and the Army Corps of Engineers work together to improve quality of life at Fort McCoy.

During an official groundbreaking ceremony for a second similar barracks project that began in March, Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Michael Poss said projects like this are significant to the installation’s future and have an impact on local economies.

“Fort McCoy’s economic impact to the local area in fiscal year 2020 was nearly $1.5 billion,” Poss said. “Fort McCoy’s consistently large economic impact ensures the state and surrounding communities of the installation’s value to the region. … Our economic impact increased last year due in large part to construction projects like this barracks project.”

By the numbers, Fort McCoy’s total economic impact for fiscal year 2020 was an estimated $1.479 billion, above the $1.184 billion reported for FY 2019, garrison officials announced.

The data was compiled by Fort McCoy’s Plans, Analysis and Integration Office. Fiscal yer 2020 operating costs of $194.4 million included utilities, physical plant maintenance, repair and improvements, new construction projects, purchases of supplies and services, as well as salaries for civilian contract personnel working at Fort McCoy.

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.