Thirty years after the Sparkman Center opened, construction is still a major part of the Army’s work at Redstone Arsenal.
Replacing the roofs at the Sparkman Center is among the many ongoing projects. The roofs are expected to be finished around March for about $12 million total. The Sparkman Center opened in August 1994 when six buildings were completed, and the complex was dedicated to the late Sen. John Sparkman.
But this is just one of a myriad of construction efforts underway at Redstone for the Army and Department of Defense.
On a weekday morning, Kris Leatherman sits at his desk in the Garrison Directorate of Public Works. Leatherman, construction branch chief in DPW’s engineering division, is asked about the ongoing construction.
“Here it is, all 10 pages,” he replied, referring to his stack of excel sheets.
“We average about $120 million a year in construction through our division. We’ve been averaging that for about three or four years now, so it’s a pretty solid number for us.”
The $120 million in projects include sustainment, restoration and modernization efforts. Among them are roads, utilities, roofs and more. “It covers major facility systems and other basic functions to maintain the backbone of the Arsenal,” Leatherman said.
Besides Army construction funding, the costs include tenant-funded requirements for new construction and renovation of administrative, laboratory and testing facilities.
“We’re helping the tenants accomplish their mission,” Leatherman said.
The engineering division receives assistance in managing these projects from the Garrison’s base operations, resource management, contracting, master planning, and environmental division.
Among the major projects is the Digital Simulation and Analysis Center, which is under construction on Anderson Road for the Space and Missile Defense Command. The $6 million project is expected to be finished in late fall.
A recreation park is under construction at the corner of Patton and Gray roads. At about $800,000, the project will add by November a pavilion, two pickleball courts, a basketball court and a large parking area.
Other projects include repaving a portion of the Von Braun Complex parking lot; a new operations facility for the Space Development Agency; and installing electric vehicle chargers throughout the installation.
DPW’s construction branch is assisting in the construction management of the Food, Beverage and Entertainment Center which will be north of the Commissary. Estimated completion date is July 2025.
An industrial waterline is under construction in phases for $14 million so far.
“It’s a multiphase project to replace the industrial watermain for Redstone Arsenal which is the backbone of the installation’s water distribution system,” Leatherman said.
Rickey Hammond is the DPW engineering division chief.
“Redstone construction is the lifeblood of how Redstone accomplishes its Army missions and goals,” Hammond said.
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