A Virginia company won a $370 million contract to build the new home of defense information at Fort Meade.
“The contract award is the first tangible step in the Base Realignment and Closure transformation at Fort Meade,” Army Col. Kenneth McCreedy, Fort Meade?s commander, said in a written statement.
The contract awarded by the Army Corps of Engineers in Baltimore City calls for a 1 million-square-foot facility to house the Defense Information System Agency, which provides information technology and communication services to the military.
DISA represents the biggest BRAC influx for Fort Meade and will move its 4,000 employees from its location in Arlington, Va., by September 2011.
“Once the paperwork is signed off, they can begin construction within 10 days,” said David Ruderman, spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers.
Another 4,000 military workers from other agencies also will move to Fort Meade.
The fort still is negotiating contracts with private developers to build offices for civilian contractors on fort property.
The contract went to Hensel Phelps Construction Co., which is based in Chantilly, Va.
It was unknown whether Hensel Phelps would be required to hire local subcontractors, but it would have to follow federal standards on hiring minorities and women, Ruderman said. The buildings also must conform to nationally accepted, environmentally friendly building techniques.
The DISA building will be built on top of what is the fort?s golf course, which is in the center of the installation. It is part of the fort?s post-9/11 effort to put sensitive buildings in the installation?s interior.
Those plans have raised concerns from the Department of the Interior, because the fort plans to build new golf courses elsewhere on the installation, which would remove forest land. The plans also do not call for structured parking, contributing to potential stormwater runoff in the area.
Meanwhile, DISA is conducting another survey gauging how many of the current workers will move to Maryland.
Recent surveys have shown more employees are considering commuting to Odenton.
DISA did not return calls or e-mails requesting additional comment on the issue.
