RICHMOND, Virginia –
Construction on the new five-story Defense Logistics Agency Aviation Operations Center on Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia is in full swing and a great deal of progress has been made since the groundbreaking ceremony back on Oct. 15, 2015.
General engineer Alex Vazquez with DLA Installation Support at Richmond’s Engineering Services said crews have torn down bays A through E of Building 31. A small section of 31E still remains, but will be torn down shortly. Bay F of Building 31 remains, as does the Frank B. Lotts Conference Center (Building 31G) and the remaining Building 31 bays. Bays F-M will remain until Phase II and III of the project, which has not been funded by Congress. A breezeway is planned for Building 31F under a separate contract. Vazquez said the breezeway will serve as a corridor between the back parking lot and the Operations Center and the Lotts Center.
Vazquez said crews are in the process of drilling for the 250 geothermal wells that will be installed under the old parking lot in front of Building 31. These wells will be a part of the Operations Center’s energy efficient heating and cooling system that is designed to lower overall energy costs. It also supports Goal Area Four (Financial Stewardship) of the DLA Director’s Strategic Plan by delivering the right solution on time every time through financial stewardship that will reduce overall DLA operation and material costs.
“If all goes as scheduled, at the end of 2016, we should have completed the geothermal wells and built a new parking lot on top of them,” said Vazquez.
He said construction on the Operations Center is scheduled to be accomplished in three phases. The groundbreaking ceremony officially kicked off Phase I. The projected completion date for Phase I, which includes roughly 875 employees moving into the 252,000 square-foot building, is set for late summer 2018.
According to Vazquez, the goal is to start Phase II in fiscal year 2019 and start Phase III in fiscal year 2022.
“We have an excellent contractor and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been good at providing its oversight and construction management. So I would say that so far, so good,” said Vazquez.