Building 633, a 46-year-old Volunteer Army barracks, is getting extensive internal renovations, and the old doors, cabinets and other such hardware items that were removed are being repurposed at various locations on the installation and throughout Georgia.
The barracks are located at Fort Stewart, Ga., and this U.S. Army Corps of Engineers military construction project will replace all failing systems currently within the building, convert the four-soldier living units into two-soldier units, bring the building into compliance with current Life Safety and Accessibility Codes, and within current Army Standards for Permanent Party Soldiers and Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing compliance, as closely as feasible.
“Two soldiers will share a living space that includes a kitchen, laundry, and dining area,” said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, Project Engineer Susan Smith. “Each soldier will have their own bedroom suite, with bathroom, desk space and a walk-in closet.”
As part of the construction process, the Department of Public Works lets the Army Corps know what’s needed, and the Army Corps oversees the project from the beginning to completion.
“As the project engineer, I work onsite during the construction,” Smith said. “The DPW lets us know what they want, and we develop a scope of work that is ultimately put out for bid. Once the bid is awarded by us [the Army Corps], we manage the project through design and then construction. We hand it over to the DPW, once it’s complete.”
As part of every Army Corps’ military construction project, the contractors are required to divert usable building supplies.
“Over the years I’ve been a part of many construction projects,” said Smith. “This is the first time I’ve seen the contractor reach out to donate to a local charity.”
The contractor, Bristol-EDT JV, LLC, a small business set aside, made the effort to donate usable doors, cabinets and other similar items to a local charity, the Fort Stewart Home Builders Institute and Fire Department. He also repurposed doors into a conference table for the construction office and made other wood signs for the construction site.
“The [contract] specifications require that we have five waste diversion streams,” said Richard Tyler, Bristol-EDT JV, LLC project superintendent. “Concrete, metal, and cardboard are the simplest ones to meet, but taking care of the last two can be challenging. I started reaching out to the different ReStore locations in a hundred-mile radius to see what we might be able to repurpose, and found that The Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity, Inc., could repurpose the items.”
The Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity came to Fort Stewart and picked up donated items May 11.
“These donations will mean the world to each affiliate and will quickly be put to good use,” said Zerik Samples M.Ed., The Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity, Inc. chief executive officer. “If appropriate, we will see if these items can be placed in our current build projects; if not, we will sale them in our ReStores across our four-county service area, resulting in development funds to purchase supplies and equipment for new construction. With your help we are able to build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter.”
The barracks renovations are set to be completed in October 2024 at a cost of $17.5 million.
“Since we are not building a new building, but instead renovating the interior and all electrical and mechanical systems this is actually a sustainment, modernization and restoration funded project,” said Alykhan “Anakin” Gangji, Army Corps, Savannah District, Georgia Execution Team project manager. “Since this is a large SRM project, it requires Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Housing and Partnerships approval and funding authority from U.S. Army Installation Management Command. Each installation sends up their list of priorities to IMCOM and those are further prioritized for funding.”
Tyler said when working with the Army Corps, “the expectations are high, but we rise to the challenge.”