Proposals due Feb. 6 for big NASIC construction project

Project value at Wright-Patterson estimated to be between $25M and $100M
The official ribbon cutting ceremony for the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) took place Monday, May 13, 2024. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

The official ribbon cutting ceremony for the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) took place Monday, May 13, 2024. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

Contractor proposals are due in just over a couple of weeks for the construction of a cooling plant for the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

The estimated magnitude of the construction project is between $25 million and $100 million, according to a description of the work involved from the Louisville, Ky. district office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The project aims to enhance the cooling capabilities for NASIC’s headquarters at Wright-Patterson, which is “critical for maintaining operational efficiency and supporting mission requirements,” a project description says.

The scope of the work includes design and construction of the district cooling plant as well as training for personnel on HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) systems operation and maintenance, including hands-on training sessions.

Proposals are due by 11 a.m. Feb. 6, the Army Corps of Engineers said.

This project has been in the works for nearly six years. Some $35 million had been set aside for NASIC to get its cooling system significantly upgraded in the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, according to both U.S. Rep. Mike Turner and then-Ohio Sen. Rob Portman in the summer of 2020.

NASIC has seen significant construction work in recent years. The ceremonial ribbon was cut in May 2024 on a new headquarters for the center on Wright-Patterson’s Area A, a building called the “IPC III,” or Intelligence Production Center, a $156 million, 255,000 square-foot project.

In recent years, NASIC — with roots in Wright-Patterson’s Air Technical Intelligence Center and Foreign Technology Division — has been said to have some 4,000 employees.

Delta 18, also known as the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC), also operates at Wright-Patterson.

Turner has told the Dayton Daily News that he hopes to secure funding for a separate facility for NSIC at Wright-Patt.

The NASIC building was six or more years in the making. Look for a similar timeline here, for design and construction, Turner advised in 2024.

Questions about the cooling plant project were sent to representatives of NASIC and the Army Corps of Engineers.

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