As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District wrapped up final contract awards for fiscal year 2019, the team took a moment to reflect on a few major accomplishments and how they tie into the district mission and benefit the Heartland region.
The district awarded 1,501 contracts worth $1.028 billion in fiscal year 2019.
“This has been an excellent, but challenging year for the Kansas City District. Our team worked very hard during this year's flooding along the Missouri River and is still heavily involved in executing emergency repairs, conducting levee assessments and rehabilitation projects, and working with partners to develop solutions to improve flood risk and mitigation along the river. The District had an amazing year across all programs, from the Next National Geospatial-Intelligence building in St. Louis and the KC Levee's project in the metro area, to the many medium and small projects that support our partners throughout Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and around the world. I could not be prouder of our team and its dedication to serving America and the Heartland,” said Col. Bill Hannan, commander, Kansas City District.
“We had a larger mission this year than ever but our world class team got the job done well and on time. The team used innovative approaches to tackle tough problems and we delivered for our community and the nation,” said Gwendolyn Miller, chief of the Contracting Division. “Meeting the needs of our partners with high quality acquisition solutions while assuring government resources are spent legally and wisely focus our efforts.”
The Office of Small Business Programs awarded 993 contract actions valued at $278 million distributed between Small Disadvantaged Businesses, Service Disabled Veteran Owned small businesses, Women Owned small businesses and Hub Zone small businesses.
“Our goal is to maximize practicable contracting opportunities to all small businesses and the number of contracts which are awarded to these small businesses in our annual contract acquisitions,” said Arthur Saulsberry, deputy for the Office of Small Business Programs.
The Civil Works mission is to provide quality, responsive service to the nation and assist with water resource development activities including flood risk management, navigation, recreation, infrastructure and environmental stewardship, and emergency response.
“With the full support and funding of several flood damage reduction projects including the Kansas Citys Levees program, the Kansas City District Army Corps of Engineers is beginning to design and construct projects that will be talked about for decades.” said Melissa Corkill, chief of Civil Works Programs and Project Branch. “Our staff, stakeholders, and community are excited to be part of this era.”
Some highlights from the Civil Works branch this fiscal year are listed below:
- Kansas Citys Levees (Kansas City, Mo. and Kansas City, Kan.) protects more the $22 billion in investment, more than 94,000 jobs and 7000 structures. Congress appropriated $453 million for the district to fully fund the remaining design and construction improvements for this system. This will be the biggest Civil Works project this district has designed and built in decades.
- Manhattan Kansas Flood Damage Reduction (Manhattan, Kan.) project was funded to complete Preliminary Engineering and Design efforts in 2018. This project, located along the Big Blue River will improve gatewell structures, raise the levee, and improve stability and underseepage along the levee.
- Swope Park Industrial Area Flood Damage Reduction (Kansas City, Mo.) project was fully funded to completion in 2018. Once constructed this project will provide flood risk reduction to the Swope Park Industrial Area located along E. 75th Terr. in Kansas City, Mo. The Swope Park Industrial Area is a 50-acre site located along the Blue River, which drains a highly urbanized 272 square-mile area. Construction is expected to take a few years with the next contract to be awarded in 2019 and the final contract awarded a few years later in cooperation with a KCMO access bridge.
- St. Joseph Levees System L455 and R471-460 Project (St. Joseph, Mo.) the overall levee system project was fully federally funded in FY17. During 2018, construction on Brown’s Branch gatewell structure was significantly advanced and a $1.6 million levee improvements contract was awarded for the left bank (Missouri side) of the Missouri River along the L455 levee unit. The Corps of Engineers will award two more construction contracts on the right bank of the Missouri River in 2019.
- Emergency Management; Over 150 personnel activated to support the Lower Missouri River Basin flooding for the longest emergency activation in district history (ongoing). Over $40 million expended in response to flooding – to include 1.6 million sandbags issued, 40 pumps issued and the deployment of four automatic sandbag filling machines and two gravity fed machines. In addition, 25 Kansas City District personnel deployed to support Hurricanes Michael and Dorian.
- Lake and Missouri River Project Improvements; In addition to routine operations and maintenance, several major contracts were awarded in FY 19 at Corps of Engineers Lake and Missouri River projects in Kansas and Missouri. Kanopolis, Harry S Truman, Long Branch, Missouri River, Perry, Blue Springs, Melvern, Milford, and Stockton projects will all have construction projects over the next year including dam safety work, road repairs, power plant equipment rehab/replacement and floating plant replacement.
- Civil Works total dollars committed: Over $61 million obligated.
The Military Branch mission is to provide premier engineering, construction, real estate, and environmental management products and services for the installations and other U.S. Government agencies within Kansas and Missouri. Outside of our traditional area of responsibility, the district continues to provide support to other Military mission Corps districts, the U.S. Northern Command initiatives in Mexico and the Army Facilities Components System.
“We had a huge year awarding 2 mega projects this year - Next National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency West headquarters and the Fort Leonard Wood Hospital Replacement - while also continuing to award our normal MILCON and military operations and maintenance construction contracts. We also have been supporting others, such as NORTHCOM, Japan, Korea, Afghanistan and AFCS. Our job is to support the warfighter, and we accomplish this through studies, designs and construction of facilities,” said Jeff Salter, chief of the Military Branch.
Some highlights from the Military programs this fiscal year are listed below:
- Awarded two mega construction contracts – Next National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency West headquarters – known as N2W ($635.5M)– and the Fort Leonard Wood Hospital ($296M)
- Continued to develop the acquisition of two newer mega programs: Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Mo. and Department of Veteran Affairs - John Cochran Division, Hospital Renovation and Build project in St. Louis
- Awarded a Cons Stealth OPS and Nuclear Alert facility at Whiteman Air Force Base near Knob Noster, Mo.
- Awarded a Fire Station, Blood Processing Center, and an ERCIP Install Comb Heat and Power System at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
- Awarded a UMMCA Covered Storage Area and an UMMCA Aircraft Parts Storage at Fort Riley, Kan.
- Continued to improve on small project execution, awarding over 20 small projects at Fort Leonard Wood and expanded the process to McConnell AFB and Fort Leavenworth
- Military Branch total dollars committed: Over $733 million obligated
The Environmental Program focuses on protecting human health and the environment in a timely and cost-effective manner. The Kansas City District investigates, designs, and executes a full range of cleanup and protection activities from coast to coast.
“We oversee projects in the Midwest, in New York/New Jersey, and in the Pacific Northwest. Effective communication helps all this work,” said Jill Fraley, chief of the Environmental Programs Branch. "Our team partners across boundaries to execute the mission."
A few highlights from fiscal year 2019 are listed below:
- Superfund projects in both New Jersey and New York State (Diaz Superfund Site).
- Continued additional remedial soil cleanup work at the Former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in northwest Johnson County, Kan., for the Department of the Army
- Numerous investigations, designs, operations reports, and five year reviews were completed to support both Department of Defense customers and other federal agency partners
- Environmental Programs total dollars committed: Over $180 million obligated
The team provides services and expertise to our district which covers parts of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado in the Missouri River watershed as well as environmental work in New York and New Jersey.
The Kansas City District is a team of dedicated professionals with a strong heritage and proven results who, in collaboration with our partners, proudly serve in the Heartland providing leadership, technical excellence, and innovative solutions to the nation's most complex problems.