MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- The Naval Consolidated Brig aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is undergoing a $27 million expansion project which began in December.
The project brings 100,000 square feet and two stories of additional space. It will have enough room for 120 male cells and 80 female cells. Each cell is 80 square feet total.
There was a lot of preparation before anything began, explained Tom MacDonald, the senior superintendent of the project. Construction workers had to take the basic government floorplan and make it into a workable structure. In addition, the workers had to prepare the site for the buildings. Overall, it took several hundred hours of planning.
“We had to demolish the existing parking lot and move a substantial amount of dirt – about 75,000 cubic yards – to put in the building pad,” said MacDonald.
Workers also had to lay in all underground wiring including water, sewer, storm and fire lines.
Following initial site preparation, workers could begin moving in individual cells that were already made.
“We’re fabricating cells in Arizona where they can control quality and production,” said MacDonald. “This allowed us to begin building the cells before construction began and truck them in faster. The quality of our cells and masonry work is exceptional. We’re really happy with it.”
The workers are also putting in details that will make the buildings unique and finished, explained MacDonald. Some of these include colored concrete, a large skylight and wood doors in female areas.
Additionally, female areas will also be separated into “communities.” Temporary prisoners will be in one part of the facility and permanent prisoners will be in the other.
“The facility is the way of the future for corrections,” said MacDonald. “They used to treat women the same way as men for the longest time, but now they have communities for women.”
Construction crews expect the project to be complete by February 2011. The project employs 60 to 80 people at a time and has been accident free for more than 176 days.
“We’ve got some good guys out here doing a good job,” said Danny Brown, the safety manager of the project. “Every one of us is doing our part to make this happen.”
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