St. Louis-based McCarthy Building Cos., in a joint venture with Falls Church, Virginia-based HITT Construction, has completed construction of Next NGA West, a $1.7 billion design-build federal project that spans 97 acres in St. Louis, according to a Jan. 21 announcement from McCarthy.
The facility is the headquarters of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, a combat support agency within the U.S. Department of War, formerly the Department of Defense, that provides mapping intelligence to the military, policymakers and first responders, per the release. NGA has maintained a presence in St. Louis for more than 70 years, and counts more than 3,000 locals as employees, per the announcement.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, oversaw the design and construction of the new headquarters, which represents the largest federal investment in the city’s history, per the announcement.
The new development contains a 700,000-square-foot office building, two multi-level parking garages, a secure visitor center, a delivery inspection facility and multiple secured access points, per the release. The project team incorporated advanced technology and constructed the campus to meet safety, security and sustainability standards.
Work on the project started in 2014 with an environmental impact statement, according to the NGA, and site logistics work began in 2019, per the announcement. The new campus replaces NGA’s current facility south of downtown St. Louis.
“This project reflects a remarkable collaboration between federal agencies, the design-build team, and the local community,” Josh Gaghen, St. Louis business unit leader for McCarthy and former project manager for construction of the new campus, said in the release.
Last month, McCarthy finished another key project in its backyard — the Plaza West Tower at Barnes-Jewish hospital. It’s the fifth-largest hospital in the country, per a release.
