On Feb. 4, golden shovels ceremoniously unearthed soil to begin construction for a Police Station and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) onboard Marine Corps Support Facility (MCSF) Blount Island in Jacksonville, Florida.
The project is a joint venture between Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast, Blount Island Command, MCSF Blount Island, and The Clement Group, LLC out of Montgomery, Alabama.
“This new building has been 15 years in the making and will allow the installation law enforcement and mission assurance personnel to move into a state-of-the-art facility that will fully support their mission,” said Blount Island Command and MCSF Blount Island Commanding Officer Col. Michael Livingston. “The facility is in a secure location and will serve as a communication hub for installation staff to support security and emergency response aboard the installation.”
The two-story, 18,000 square-foot facility will serve as both the Police Station and EOC to provide support to the installation 24/7.
The facility was designed in-house by the NAVFAC Southeast Design and Construction Business Line, the Lead Architect was Mark Couture and Design Manager was Ricardo Palmo along with seven other team members. It is designed to be simplistic and sturdy, with a masonry façade and standing seam metal roof. The foundation will be piles and grade beams to account for the island’s unstable soil.
“The design required additional engineering efforts as this facility will be a stay-in-place shelter during emergencies,” said Couture. “The structure needs to withstand hurricane force winds while still remaining operational. The dual purpose nature of the facility provided some interesting design requirements and spaces.”
The final design was created to be aesthetically pleasing while meeting the rigid needs of a shelter.
The facility will include an elevator, backup generator, weapons cleaning area, locker rooms, interrogation room, armory, holding cell, anti-terrorism/force protection measures, a covered boat storage area, and a parking lot for 61 vehicles and three motorcycles.
“When people hear ‘naval facilities’ they tend to think Navy only, but the Naval Forces include the Marine Corps as well,” said NAVFAC Southeast Facilities Engineering & Acquisition Division Director Lt. Cmdr. Pete Deiuliis. “NAVFAC Southeast and Public Works Department (PWD) Mayport are excited about the new Police Station and EOC at Blount Island and we are dedicated to providing the Marines with a first rate facility.”
Project completion is set for March 25, 2022, and will employ approximately 150 craftsmen with up to 60 being onsite at one time during peak construction.