Renovation operations of Fort McCoy's Rumpel Fitness Center continues; contractor ups progress

Workers with R.J. Jurowski Construction Inc. of Whitehall, Wis., continued to make steady progress on the renovation construction project of the Rumpel Fitness Center in early at Fort McCoy, post officials said.

The project began Nov. 1, 2022, and is expected to be completed in fall 2023.

The project includes the exterior receiving new siding, roofing, and sidewalks as well as a storage addition.

The interior is receiving a full layout redesign that includes locker rooms, cardio/stretching/equipment areas, and offices.

There will also be fresh paint throughout, a new entryway and vestibule, and a new redesigned pool, Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works officials said.

As of June 2023, the project was at approximately 65 percent complete, said General Engineer Gareth Ferguson with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works.

“Current work includes interior framing; drywalling; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and electrical installation; pool deck concrete work; exterior roofing; excavating and pouring additional foundation for exterior brick siding; new entranceway construction; and excavation for new domestic and fire suppression water services.”

Overall, it’s a multi-million-dollar renovation for the fitness center that’s never been done before.

“The overall project includes the exterior receiving new siding, roofing, and sidewalks as well as a storage addition,” Ferguson said in a previous article. “The interior is receiving a full layout redesign that includes locker rooms, cardio/stretching/equipment areas, and offices. There will also be fresh paint throughout, a new entryway and vestibule, and a new redesigned pool.”

Having construction projects like this completed with local contractors also supports local economies.

Fort McCoy’s total economic impact for fiscal year (FY) 2022 was an estimated $2.52 billion, above the $1.93 billion reported for FY 2021, garrison officials announced in March 2023. The data was compiled by Fort McCoy’s Plans, Analysis and Integration Office.

Workforce payroll, operating costs, and other expenditures totaled $629.08 million for FY 2022 compared to $481.6 million for FY 2021.

FY 2022 operating costs of $391.46 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. Other expenditures accounted for $52.25 million and covered $339,994 in payments to local governments (including land permit agreements, school district impact aid, etc.) as well as $51.91 million in discretionary spending in local communities by service members training and residing at Fort McCoy.

Fort McCoy was established in 1909 and its 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 the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”

Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.