U.S. Central Command's 257,000-sq-ft facility at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa provides a high-tech, high-security home for personnel supporting some 200,000 U.S. troops and civilians deployed throughout the Middle East.

The $83-million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project included two phases: the construction of a replacement headquarters and command center and the demolition of the existing building and construction of a separate reception center. The four-story headquarters sports a steel frame and insulated precast concrete panels with laminated force protection glass.

An estimated 30,000 sq ft of data-dedicated space supports the USCENTCOM facility, including three large server and telecommunications rooms, all backed by double power redundancy.

During construction, contractors installed two 700-ton chillers and added two cooling towers—each with 5,000-gallon-per-minute capacities—and a 13.2-kVa generator to an existing central utility plant.

Contractors worked closely with the Corps' quality assurance team to ensure the large number of spaces designated as Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) areas met the owner's criteria. A professional photographer documented all as-built conditions before SCIF-area walls were enclosed.

Award of Merit, Government-Public Buildings

USCENTCOM Headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa

Key Players

Contractor Clark Construction Group, Tampa

Owner U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Mobile District, Mobile, Ala.

Lead Designer Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City, Mo.