The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District is sharing information with industry about a potential innovative delivery approach to help the U.S. Army construct critical barracks infrastructure at Fort Hunter Liggett, California.
The approximately $250 million project will replace five aging barracks with four Collective Training Enlisted Barracks and one Advanced Skills Training Barracks, providing modern facilities and supporting infrastructure for Soldiers. The five new multi-story barracks will total approximately 229,000 square feet, and will include utilities, site improvements, fire protection, HVAC, information systems and other mission-essential infrastructure.
One potential delivery method under review is Progressive Design-Build (PDB) through an Other Transaction Authority (OTA). Unlike a traditional design-bid-build process, PDB brings the designer and builder together earlier in the project, allowing the team to identify potential construction issues, refine designs and develop costs collaboratively before construction begins.
The approach is intended to help reduce costs and accelerate project delivery by using open-book cost estimating and continuous reviews. The team would work toward a guaranteed maximum price before moving into construction, providing greater cost transparency and opportunities to identify efficiencies early. If the team cannot reach a price that meets the government objectives, the PDB with OTA methodology is a mechanism offering flexibility to preserve resources through an off-ramp process.
“This project gives us an opportunity to challenge the traditional way we deliver military construction,” said Jason Cain, Louisville District Army Reserve Section Chief. “By bringing industry partners into the process earlier and making cost and construction part of the conversation from the beginning, we can identify efficiencies sooner, reduce risks and move critical facilities to Soldiers with greater confidence.”
The Fort Hunter Liggett project is part of Louisville District’s broader effort to optimize how military construction projects are delivered. By testing new contracting strategies, construction technologies and delivery methods, the district is helping the Army find ways to stretch resources while delivering resilient, mission-ready facilities.
The project demonstrates how Louisville District is focused not only on building facilities, but also on improving the process used to deliver them—reducing unnecessary costs, accelerating timelines and providing greater value to the Army and the Soldiers who rely on these facilities.
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