News Stories

New Army Reserve Center to open end of April

Published April 26, 2018

The new Army Reserve Center, Taunton, Massachusetts, set to open by the end of April, will replace the U.S. Army Reserve training center in Attleboro and will be able to accommodate up to 300 Army reservists. 

“We’re on schedule,” said Betty Beck, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District project manager. “The construction contractor, J&J Contractors, Inc. has done a wonderful job with completing the project on time with minimal changes. The designer, Michael Baker International, has designed a state-of-the-art facility that will be very easily maintained and functional to the end user.” 

This project was awarded in June 2016. The teamwork has paid back dividends which enhanced the construction progress.

 “The construction team from New England District has done a great job with oversight of the construction contractor.  Since the on-site partnering meeting, the New England Corps of Engineers has successfully provided onsite quality control, administered modifications on the project, provided status updates, timely pictures, and worked very well with the contractor,” Beck said. It was great to partner with the New England District, she continued.
Jim Fielding, New England District construction representative and project engineer, works out of the New Bedford, Massachusetts Resident Office. He said that it’s his job to ensure that the $18.4 million contract is properly enforced. According to Fielding, there were very few obstacles with the construction of the Army Reserve project. 

The facility, built to achieve an energy efficient LEED designation, consists of an L-shaped structure with a military vehicle organizational maintenance shop, a garage, offices and parking. The building includes classrooms, a weapons-simulation training room, kitchen, medical and gym facilities and a storage room. Landscaping incorporates native plants for soil reinforcement. 

The reserve recruits typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. The facility will be equipped to prepare men and women to deploy anywhere in the world. The soldiers can be deployed from the facility.

Speaking about the relationship between Corps offices, Beck said that it was a great partnership among Army Reserve Installation Management Directorate, end users, 99th Reserve Support Command, contractors, New England District Construction, and the Louisville District.