Lackland Air Force Base Youth Center
San Antonio, Texas

Project Highlights:

• Constructed 34,000-square-foot youth center from the ground up

• Performed necessary abatement for lead-based paint and asbestos and demolished previously existing structures on the site

• Repaired/replaced roads, sidewalks, and general lighting on site

When leaders at the Lackland AFB decided to construct a youth center for the children of their service members, they envisioned a place where kids could interact in a safe, fun environment. WESTON was selected over 10 other contractors for this ground-up construction project.

As general contractor, WESTON managed a number of other subcontractors and staff who joined WESTON on the monumental project. WESTON coordinated schedules, handled status reports, developed and submitted a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), and filed all required federal, state, and local notices and permits.

WESTON also had to address the environmental issues of three existing housing units that had to be demolished to make way for the new facility, requiring numerous surveys for and abatement of lead-based paint, asbestos, PCBs, and mercury.

Following restoration of the site, WESTON also began the process of repairing/replacing roads, sidewalks, and general lighting. Next WESTON installed pier foundations and applied concrete slab so that the general foundation could be made.

The building of the new youth center included a structural steel frame, brick veneer, standing seam metal roof, and associated force protection systems. The construction of the internal areas included centralized power, support equipment, and a complete kitchen with associated walk-in coolers, food service equipment, two gymnasiums, learning centers, activity rooms, and administrative areas. The exterior construction work included sited concrete, a parking lot, grass landscaping with irrigation, repairing/replacing roads, sidewalks, and general lighting.

The youth center consists of a combined 34,000 square feet that encompasses administrative areas, school-age (SA) activity rooms, pre-teen and teen areas, shared spaces, and building services areas. In addition to providing after school care, the facility is equipped with cameras that allow parents (who may be deployed elsewhere) to watch basketball games and other activities. Since the Youth Center is located on an active Air Force Base, WESTON incorporated emerging requirements, such as homeland security and force protection into the construction of the project.