Groundbreaking held for $1.7 billion NGA complex in North St. Louis
By James LoweNovember 29, 2019
1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Group photo of the Kansas City District personnel working on the construction side of the project in St. Louis together with Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, 54th Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (white hard hat) and Commander of the Kansas City District Col. Bill Hannan. (Photo Credit: James Lowe) VIEW ORIGINAL
2 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – With significant federal, state and local dignitaries present, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency with many partners celebrated the symbolic groundbreaking for beginning of construction on the 97-acre campus in North St. Louis November 26, 2019. Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, 54th Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (center), Rep. Adam Schiff, Calif.-28th District, Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, Mo.-1st District, Sen. Roy Blunt, Mo. (Photo Credit: James Lowe) VIEW ORIGINAL
3 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – With significant federal, state and local dignitaries present, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency with many partners celebrated the symbolic groundbreaking for beginning of construction on the 97-acre campus in North St. Louis November 26, 2019. Left to right - Hon. Joseph Maguire, Acting Director of National Intelligence, Vice Adm. Robert Sharp, Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green, and Mayor Lyda Krewson. (Photo Credit: James Lowe) VIEW ORIGINAL
4 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Dave Walsh, left, contracting officer, was recognized by the Commanding General of the Northwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Brig. Gen. Pete Helmlinger, after the ceremony for his great work on the project. (Photo Credit: James Lowe) VIEW ORIGINAL
5 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – With significant federal, state and local dignitaries present, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency with many partners celebrated the symbolic groundbreaking for beginning of construction on the 97-acre campus in North St. Louis November 26, 2019. Recognized by the Corps after the ceremony. Left to right - Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, 54th Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Jonathan Petry; and Commander of the Kansas City District Col. Bill Hannan. (Photo Credit: James Lowe) VIEW ORIGINAL
6 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, Missouri-1st District spoke during the ceremony attended by significant federal, state and local dignitaries present, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency with many partners celebrated the symbolic groundbreaking for beginning of construction on the 97-acre campus in North St. Louis November 26, 2019. (Photo Credit: James Lowe) VIEW ORIGINAL
With significant federal, state and local dignitaries present, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency with many partners celebrated the symbolic groundbreaking for beginning of construction on the 97-acre campus in North St. Louis November 26, 2019.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District serves as the construction lead through a special team located in St. Louis. The Kansas City District oversees all military construction in Missouri and Kansas. The contract for construction with McCarthy-HITT Construction is for over $700 million with follow-on scientific instrumentation set to cost almost $1 billion.
With an excited crowd of over 250 people, members of Congress, the St. Louis mayor and others along with the 54th Chief of Engineering and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite spoke to emphasize the benefits to the city, state and nation to construct the site in St. Louis, moving from the current South St. Louis site in about 2023.
We have five projects within the project set aside for small businesses and that puts aside money to go to local economy and to small businesses. We have a great team supporting a great mission to provide a new headquarters complex for NGA, said Semonite.
U.S. Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay, Missouri - 1st District stirred the crowd by recounting the challenges overcome to place the new site in St. Louis.
Vice Adm. Robert Sharp, seventh Director of NGA, extolled the benefits to the region and nation. His agency provides geo-intelligence to all military and federal security assets."We maintain detailed, foundational physical characterization of the Earth from seabed to space and provide products our forces require to navigate and operate safely every day, everywhere around the globe," wrote Sharp in his introduction to NGA Strategy 2025.
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson thanked the crowd, NGA and all of the partners who assisted in keeping the headquarters in St. Louis. She expressed great confidence for increased construction employment prospects and the successful revitalization of North St. Louis.
"The Kansas City District has more than 40 outstanding professionals supporting construction on the project. The district is honored to serve the Heartland and work with our partners," said Col. Bill Hannan, commander of the Kansas City District.
The Kansas City District serves as the construction lead for four other mega-projects in addition to the new NGA headquarters complex: Kansas Cities Levees, Fort Leonard Wood Hospital, Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, and the John Cochran Division Veterans Administration Hospital renovation and build, also in St. Louis.
The Kansas City District is a team of dedicated professionals with a strong heritage and proven results who, in collaboration with our partners, proudly serve in the Heartland providing leadership, technical excellence, and innovative solutions to the nation's most complex problems.
January 13, 2020Buffalo District fights invasive hydrilla on the Great Lakes
January 9, 2020Buffalo District and D'Youville College teach students to get their hands dirty
January 9, 2020USACE Buffalo District's Stow Field Office has a new location
January 8, 2020Trump: No casualties in Iranian missile attack, US won't allow nuclear Iran
January 7, 2020Duds are preferred in FUDS
December 30, 20191032nd TC completes international line haul mission
December 23, 2019Powering the Fleet
December 23, 2019Building the King
December 22, 2019Innovative thinking at Mount Morris Dam saves taxpayers' time and money
December 20, 2019Corps, Orange County partner to complete flood channel before storm season
December 20, 2019Cutting edge model improves the Fargo-Moorhead Metro Flood Risk Management Project
December 17, 2019Hazardous land used during Atomic Age has green future
December 5, 2019Partnership with University of Kansas Medical Center offers Guard medics unique training
December 5, 2019InterAgency Lecture highlights Federal Executive Board
December 3, 20192019 navigation season wraps up on Upper Mississippi River