The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency hit another milestone to completion of its new campus in St. Louis, known as Next NGA West, as it celebrated the main operation building’s enclosure Nov. 30. 

With the enclosure of the building – the completion of the structural flooring, walls and ceilings – the building’s external shell is sealed, said Gene Morisani, the program manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District. Now that the interior is protected from the elements, work such as painting, ceilings, lights and plumbing fixture installation can begin in the 700,000-square-foot main office building in preparation for NGA’s scheduled move-in in 2026, he said.

“This is an exciting phase of construction, when the building will really come together to create a flexible, collaborative work environment for NGA to achieve its mission,” Morisani said. “I’d also like to note the hard work and dedication of the McCarthy HITT construction team for getting us to this point. I am looking forward to seeing the building continue to progress as mechanical and electrical systems start up and finishes proceed.”

Josh Gaghen, project executive for McCarthy HITT, said that the enclosure of the main office building is a result of the hard work and cooperation of everyone involved with the project, from the Kansas City District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NGA to the design-build team, which includes McCarthy Building Companies, HITT Contracting, Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp., Gensler and Akima.

“Since groundbreaking in 2019, the construction industry has been impacted by COVID-19, supply-chain issues and other challenges, but the commitment of everyone to remaining on-schedule and on-budget is a testament to everyone’s belief in the importance of the Next NGA project,” said Gaghen. “We’re looking forward to completing the next phase.”

Beyond the main operations building, other areas at the site continue to take shape, said Frank Cooper, NGA deputy program director for the Next NGA West project.

Cooper said workers are constructing the masonry columns and installing metal fence sections of the permanent security fence on the perimeter of the site, and workers have completed the pier footings that will support the covered walkways from the Visitor Control Center and parking garages to the main operation building’s front entrance and employee entrances.

Additionally, Cooper said, new construction teams will be on the site early next year as the small business projects for the Access Control Points and Remote Inspection Facility get started.

Cooper said progress around the site, powered by workers applying their specific trade skills, has been “relentless”.

“Our NGA team appreciates the hard work being done by the entire construction team to create a facility that will help NGA succeed in its mission of keeping our nation secure,” Cooper said.

The project is working to meet federal labor goals of 14.7 percent work participation for minorities and 6.9 percent for women, said Heather Cirre, manager for small business contracting and outreach for McCarthy HITT joint venture.

Cirre said the team is pleased to be exceeding the minority percentage goal with 19 percent of minority participation at this point in the project. Women have contributed just over 6 percent of workforce hours, Cirre said. 

“We continue to work with trade partners across the project to assess crew makeup and work toward meeting and exceeding minority and women participation goals,” said Cirre. “We want to create a culture of inclusion that allows all craft professionals to advance their skills and develop their careers. 

“The current makeup of the construction industry challenges us and our peers to reach beyond traditional practices to attract and retain historically underrepresented individuals by creating welcoming job environments,” Cirre said. “Our efforts to draw people into designing and building will continue well beyond this project, as we partner with pre-apprenticeship programs, trade unions and regional-employment resource centers to bring diverse workers into the construction field.” 
 

Subcontract procurement has been completed, with numerous contracts awarded to minority-owned business enterprises for a wide range of products and services, said Cirre. Of the 164 subcontracts awarded, contracting participation includes approximately 34 percent of the contracts performed by minority-owned businesses, 31 percent by women-owned businesses, and 66 percent by small businesses.

Efforts to engage with the St. Louis community on this project continue. NGA and USACE regularly attend meetings of neighborhood and local organizations around the site to help inform the local community about construction activities and to answer questions about construction and NGA. 

This past September, NGA, McCarthy HITT and USACE hosted an open house for community members to view the construction progress, get their questions answered by NGA, USACE and McCarthy-HITT leaders, and speak to representatives from local organizations about construction careers and a representative from NGA about careers with the agency.

For more information about the Next NGA West construction project, visit Next NGA West | National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.