Through extreme cold, snow, work continues with $55.75 million Collective Training Officers Quarters Project during December at Fort McCoy

Late November and December 2025 have seen a fair amount of extreme cold weather, but the contractors for the $55.75 million Collective Training Officers Quarters Project at Fort McCoy kept building and moving forward.

On Nov. 21, the project was 33 percent complete, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As of Dec. 19, that progress increased to 38 percent completed.

The project includes two buildings being constructed in a sizeable construction space of the installation’s 1600 block of the cantonment area. On the west building, the contractor has been busy finishing framing so they can then fully cover the building. On the east building, more of the exterior walls were receiving brick placement.

The contractor for the project, BlindermanPower (Construction), which has also completed another major project at Fort McCoy — the fiscal year-2022 funded South Barracks Project, was awarded a contract totaling $55,759,100, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. The notice to proceed was acknowledged on July 19, 2024. The contract duration is scheduled for completion in 1,260 calendar days.

In 2024, for numerous months, actual full construction of the new buildings had to wait for another contractor to move five World War II-era barracks buildings. Those are destined for a separate future project, Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works (DPW) officials said.

The project description in the contract states the plan is to build the two buildings based on the standard layout depicted in the Operational Readiness Training Complex.

“This facility is required to replace antiquated World War II-era wood transient training officer quarters currently being utilized to train Soldiers during major exercises, annual training, battle assembly, and mobilization at Fort McCoy,” the description states. “This facility will be designed with the ability to be winterized or deactivated during the winter months.”

Ken Green with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resident Office at Fort McCoy said with the project now being 38 percent complete, the contractor hasn’t let weather slow them down.

In his Dec. 19 update, Green gave the latest actions.

“In the west building, exterior wall framing continued,” Green wrote in the update. “Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing rough-in continued. Interior and exterior spray foam continued. Interior rough-in framing and sheet rocking continued. Masonry continued on the west side section. Fluid applied air barrier completed. Standing seam roof panels staged.

“In the east building, structural steel erection continued for section B,” Green wrote. “Winterization continues. Exterior stud framing continued in section A and B. Interior stairs section A concrete placed. Exterior spray foam started on structural steel in-fills.”

The project description, also as stated in previous news articles, gives more information about how the project will continue to grow.

“When Fort McCoy is not stood up as a mobilization platform, its primary mission is to support the seasonal requirements of training … Army Reserve Soldiers,” the description states. “In order to conserve as much energy as possible, while also decreasing the funding necessary to field extended utility costs, this building will be deactivated when it is not being used for training.”

The contract requirements also show that work includes building a standing seam metal roof over rigid insulation on steel deck on structural trusses; using utility brick veneer over rigid insulation on steel studs with exterior glass mat gypsum sheathing; building a concrete floor on metal deck and on-grade; installing and elevator, aluminum doors and windows, gypsum board and metal frame partitions, steel door frames and steel doors, and acoustical ceilings; installing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; completing plumbing, security, and electrical systems; and more.

The officer’s quarters project makes two active, large construction projects taking place in the 1600 block of the installation. All this work also continues with the master plan for the 1600 block that will include not only the four barracks but also three 20,000-square-foot brigade headquarters buildings — one of which is done — and now the two 160-room officer quarters, said Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works officials.

Contract completion date is currently is Dec. 31, 2027.

See more news about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by visiting https://www.usace.army.mil/Media/News.

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.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.”

Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”