Progress continues on the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s new campus in north St. Louis this summer, as workers begin the finishes of the interior of the main operations building, in anticipation of the beginning of NGA’s scheduled move-in in 2025. Move-in is scheduled to be complete in 2026.

In July, workers were laying carpeting in hallways, installing cabinetry in kitchen and common areas, assembling workstations and hanging doors. Large planters were placed in the courtyard in the center of the main building, and freight elevators were installed in shafts. More drywall work continued, as panels were hung and finished in the main operations building.

“We’re pleased with the progress on finishes throughout the building,” said Gene Morisani, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers program manager for the NGA project. “Every week. we see more rooms and areas starting to take shape and get ready for furniture. The McCarthy-HITT design-build team and the hundreds of skilled tradespeople have put in a tremendous effort and shown great commitment to get the building to this point.”
 

Another milestone completed in July was the laying of the Buster Brown brick wall in the main operation building’s entrance lobby. The wall, which measures 82x12 feet, contains approximately 6,000 bricks salvaged from a Buster Brown shoe factory that was located on the site. NGA incorporated the wall into the new building’s design to honor the area’s history and legacy, said Lisa Williams, NGA historian.

“The history of the site around the new NGA campus is rich, reflecting the changing society and economy of the St. Louis region,” Williams said. “The Buster Brown building was created during a time when shoe factories were a huge driver of the St. Louis economy. While that time has passed, NGA is excited to be part of what’s now the growing geospatial community in the St. Louis region. Our goal is that our facility honors the past, while looking to the future.”

Contracts for the supporting facilities continue to be awarded as well. The contract to build the remote inspection facility was awarded to Nisou, based in Wichita, Kansas, and Farmington Hills, Mich., for $17.2 million. The contract to build access control points was awarded to SES Civil and Environmental LLC, headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tenn., for $24.2 million. 

“The award of these contracts shows that we are continuing to make progress in providing a world-class facility for the NGA workforce,” said Frank Cooper, NGA program director for the Next NGA West. 

The Next NGA West project continues to closely track federal labor goals for worker participation of 6.9 percent women and 14.7 percent minorities per trade, said Josh Gaghen, McCarthy-HITT project executive. He said approximately 19 percent of workforce hours for the Next NGA West project have been minority participation, with 6.3 percent of workforce hours has been female participation.