Military

Brigade anticipates move into new building

Oct 13, 2009

By Spc. Natalie Sampson, 470th Military Intelligence Brigade Public Affairs

In an effort to bring more of its personnel under one roof, the 470th Military Intelligence (MI) Brigade is relocating its Soldiers and civilians’ places of duty on Fort Sam Houston.

Building 1070 will soon become the new home of the 470th MI Brigade. The building is located just behind “Old BAMC” (building 1000), on Stanley Road.

Currently, the brigade’s primary elements are operating from building 1000 along with U.S. Army South personnel. The building was expected to be completed by December 2008 but is currently under construction and is scheduled to be ready by spring 2010.

“Construction on the building is running a year and a half behind schedule due to legal and procurement issues,” said Nicholas Gonzales, the brigade’s deputy S-4 (logistics officer). “But all contracts have been awarded, and it’s only a matter of synchronizing work phases in order to avoid problems during the final stages of the project.” All that remains is the interior finishing work, he added.

The five-story building is being built by Orion Construction, a commercial real estate company, which has partnered with other contractors to finish this 155,000-square-foot project. The land on which it sits is owned by the Department of Defense, which will, in turn, lease the building from the owner, Orion.

The inside will be configured to offer ample space for various uses -- offices, conference rooms, training rooms, an arms room, storage rooms and secure areas. There will not be a fitness center or a food court at the onset of the relocation; however, they may be added eventually.

The final basic occupancy date for all personnel is early March 2010, said Maj. Ryan D. Fearnow, the brigade’s logistics staff officer. The 14th MI Battalion’s Rear Detachment is scheduled to be the first to occupy the fifth floor in December 2009. The rest of the 14th MI Battalion, who are deployed to Iraq, are scheduled to make their move into the new building shortly after their return next year.

The 470th MI Brigade Command Group and Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment are scheduled to move into the fourth floor during the late December/early January time frame followed by all other non-deployed units.

On the third floor will be the 401st MI Battalion; the second floor is designated for the 201st MI Battalion; and the first floor is reserved for the brigade’s language lab, arms room and brigade training room.

“A lot of hard work and effort was put into this project,” said Lt. Col. Theresa Walsh, 470th MI Brigade deputy commander. She, along with a group of others representing the command and some from the contracting team, recently toured the building.

“Our thanks go out to everyone involved. It feels very satisfying to know that we’ll be moving in soon,” she continued. “This will really help us as a command, being all together under one roof. It’s an accomplishment everyone can be proud of.”

The building is surrounded by large windows that allow for beautiful panoramic views of downtown San Antonio to the south, Brooke Army Medical Center to the east, the University of the Incarnate Word campus to the west, and historical residential neighborhoods to the north.

Landscaping, including an automatic water sprinkler system, is in place and sufficient parking spaces have been allocated.

U.S. Army South will continue to use “Old BAMC” as it undergoes renovations to accommodate the command’s expanding operations.