Many upcoming Texas opportunities announced
by Mary Scott Nabers
CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
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No construction takes place without architects, engineers and designers. And, there will be related work for plumbers, electricians, painters, dirt and trash haulers, landscape professionals, furniture and equipment companies and technology vendors. Purchases to be made locally will include building materials, concrete, cabling and all kinds of supplies.
Construction projects in Texas will be abundant because of the number of military installations in the state. Almost every federal facility is vying for stimulus funding for projects.
Some of the DoD funding from the Recovery Act nationwide includes:
- $4.2 billion in Operation and Maintenance accounts to improve, repair and modernize DoD facilities, including energy-related improvements;
- $1.3 billion for construction of military hospitals;
- $100 million for construction of Warrior in Transition complexes for active-duty military with medical needs;
- $535 million for construction that includes military housing for troops and their families, for energy conservation and for National Guard facilities;
- $240 million to construct child development centers for children of military families; and
- $300 million to develop energy-efficient technologies.
One large project already announced is a new hospital for Fort Hood. The military base near Killeen will benefit from the $1.33 billion set aside for building new hospitals. Phase one of hospital construction will cost $621 million. This project not only will require construction of the physical building, but also furnishings, medical equipment, computers and other technology. There will be opportunities for HVAC, landscaping, security and fire safety equipment.
Other Texas projects include:
- A $12.7 million child development center at Fort Hood;
- A $57 million Warrior in Transition building at Fort Bliss in El Paso;
- A $28.4 million project to build a 220-room dorm for troop housing at Goodfellow Air Force Base at San Angelo; and
- The installation of 8,000 motion sensors at Ford Hood at a cost of $1.45 million.
There are more than 184 repair and modernization projects set for Texas National Guard installations totaling more than $222 million. Projects will include:
- Repairs to the division headquarters building at Fort Hood along with road repairs, repair of mechanical equipment and outdated chillers and boilers, repairs to dams, bridges, a warehouse and a vehicle maintenance shop;
- At the Red River Army Depot, $1.2 million has been allocated to repair and improve heating and ventilation in facilities there. Other projects include street repair, building floor repair and upgrading of fire protection in several buildings; and
- Numerous National Guard facilities have been granted funding to install solar panels.
Runway and taxiway projects are also on tap and numerous Texas projects have been announced:
- The Naval Air Station at Corpus Christi will get $7.6 million in runway repairs and $3.2 million for taxiway repairs;
- Dyess Air Force Base is in line for more than $500,000 in apron slab, runway and taxiway slab upgrades and other projects;
- The Marine reserves facilities in Fort Worth will receive $88,000 to repair a night training simulator facility and $1.2 million to repair bunkers;
- Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio will use some of its ARRA funding to repair and paint dorms, repair roads and repair perimeter fences; and
- Randolph Air Force Base will have work to be done that includes airfield lighting, roof repairs and replacements, pavement repairs and water main replacements.
Most of this work will fall under a construction heading but all types of additional services will be required. Best advice - read carefully, read between the lines and read daily to find thousands of related opportunities that are being announced as construction projects.
