en.Wedoany.com Reported - The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded a $230 million design-build contract for new operations and support facilities at Base Charleston in South Carolina, bringing the total value of three recent infrastructure contracts at the base to over $440 million.
The Coast Guard's Facilities Design and Construction Center awarded the latest contract on June 16 to Brasfield & Gorrie LLC of Birmingham, Alabama. The project is expected to be completed by 2030 and includes plans for a 90,000-square-foot engineering complex to provide space for facilities and naval engineering units, electronic support, industrial production, ship storage, receiving and shipping, and hazardous materials storage.
A separate 120,000-square-foot multi-purpose building will include a 75-room single-person berthing facility, a dining hall capable of seating 650 diners, a fitness center, and an exchange. The project will also construct parking facilities for personnel working on ships homeported at Base Charleston.
This contract follows two contracts announced in May for expanding the base's pier and shore-side improvements. Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. of Greenbelt, Maryland, received a $116.7 million fixed-price design-build contract for the recapitalization of Pier Mike. The project includes demolishing the existing pier and constructing new facilities designed to berth four Offshore Patrol Cutters and accommodate one visiting vessel. The Coast Guard stated that each berth can also moor National Security Cutters. The Pier Mike project is scheduled for completion by 2030.
Brasfield & Gorrie also received a $95.5 million contract for a new 30,000-square-foot medical and dental facility, a new entry control point and visitor center, and supporting utilities. This project is expected to be completed by July 2029.
Vice Adm. Jo-Ann F. Burdian, commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area, said in a statement that the strategic expansion of Base Charleston is critical to maritime operations and national security, and that this investment not only supports the berthing of the latest vessels but also ensures service members have modern infrastructure, healthcare, and support facilities to maintain optimal mission readiness.
The three contracts total approximately $442.2 million and are part of a multi-year expansion plan for Base Charleston aimed at supporting the Coast Guard's next-generation fleet and expanding East Coast operational capabilities. The Coast Guard has previously stated that Base Charleston will become the service's largest homeport. The service expects its workforce in the Charleston area to double by 2030 as facilities expand to support more vessels and shore-side operations. All three contracts were awarded under the Department of Homeland Security's National Multiple Award Construction Contract III framework. The Coast Guard stated that these projects are partially supported by a broader $25 billion capital investment in the service. Subsequent phases of the Base Charleston expansion are being planned.
