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In the wake of 9/11, an urgent
need emerged for a secure,
inter-agency command post from which federal agencies, under the direction of the Department of Homeland Security, could control security and counter-terrorism operations for the Port of Charles-
ton and the transportation network in the surrounding area. Project SEAHAWK, a fast track, design-build, $4.3 million contract with three phases of delivery, provided this facility. The scope of this project included the construction of a 3,400 square-foot high bay building shell expansion, construction of 10,225 square feet of new second floor space, and the renovation of 8,000 square feet of existing interior offices.

Central to this facility was a new 14,000 square-foot Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) consisting of
the 10,225 square feet of new second floor space and 3,700 square feet of existing second floor space that was renovated. The SCIF comprised a central operations center for homeland security including a “wall of knowledge” (screens covering nearly an entire wall for information projection), and separate secure office/conference spaces for each agency including the FBI, CIA, DEA, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The most challenging features of the project were to seismically upgrade the basic structure of the existing facility to meet current codes and raising the roof to allow build-out of second story features, while maintaining critical Coast Guard operations and protecting personnel and equipment from the elements.

The team’s fast track, partnered approach resulted in an on-time, on-budget project that met or exceeded the multiple government stakeholders’ expectations.