The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District celebrated alongside the Fort Knox community as the new Ireland Army Health Clinic held its ribbon cutting ceremony Jan. 21, 2020, in Fort Knox, Kentucky.
The state-of-the-art facility replaces the existing 63-year old Ireland Army Community Hospital, which is scheduled for demolition later this year with completion expected in May 2021. The Louisville District oversaw the construction and project management of the new $50 million facility.
Several community members, staff and Army personnel attended the ceremony. USACE Commanding General of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division Maj. Gen. Robert Whittle, Louisville District Commander Col. Antoinette Gant and other Louisville District representatives were among those in attendance. Congressman Brett Guthrie and Stephen Black, Robley Rex VA Medical Center director, were also present for the ceremonial ribbon cutting.
“This ribbon cutting ceremony not only acknowledges the combination of the great effort and collaboration of numerous agencies and individuals, but we also celebrate the commitment and unwavering support to our community,” Chaplain Col. James Boulware said as the ceremony began.
Maj. Gen. John Evans Jr., commanding general of U.S. Army Cadet Command at Fort Knox was one of several keynote speakers.
“It (the new facility) will give the opportunity to administer all active-duty service members, to include national guardsmen, reservists, all civilians and families on post, with quality medical services and care,” Evans said.
Construction of the 101,737 sq. ft. facility began in November 2017. The Louisville District team worked closely with the project’s contractor, M. A. Mortenson Construction Company, to ensure the building was completed and delivered on schedule, and the first patient date remained on target for Jan. 22, 2020.
The two-story building houses primary care exam rooms, provider offices, reception areas, waiting rooms, physical therapy, a behavioral health suite, specialty clinic services including optometry, allergy and hearing, as well as radiology, pharmacy, labs and other support services. The facility is also the first LEED Gold building at Fort Knox. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized certification providing third-party verification that a building has been designed and built using strategies that improve energy, water efficiency, indoor environment quality and resource conservation.
“We are really proud of the facility that we were able to deliver,” said Louisville District project manager Capt. Diana Bojorquez. “It is a true testament to the teamwork and dedication of the whole project delivery team.”
The Louisville District construction project team included Bojorquez, Area Engineer Miller Moore, Resident Engineer Nick Bibelhauser, Project Engineer Casey Huber, and Quality Assurance Construction Representative Ken Jaggers.