Leopardo Completes Renovation for USO at the Naval Station Great Lakes
Leopardo recently completed a renovation of the entire second floor of the USO Great Lakes Center at Naval Station Great Lakes (NAVSTA). Opened in 1911, NAVSTA is the Navy’s largest training installation and the home of the Navy’s only boot camp. It is situated on 1,628 acres overlooking Lake Michigan and includes more than 1,100 buildings, 39 of which are featured on the National Register of Historic Places.
The renovation featured a mix of open and private offices, serving areas, reception area, gaming rooms, lounge areas, restrooms, a reflection room and a music room. The space also features a new cafeteria, used primarily for large events hosted for service members and their families.
“Being onsite, you could feel the honor and reward that each tradesman had while working on the project, knowing that what they were doing was going to make an impact on someone’s or a family member’s life,” said Leopardo Senior Project Manager Ryan Haase.
Leopardo worked closely with the Navy Facilities Engineering Command throughout construction, developing a project-specific safety plan to address the unique safety needs and challenges presented by building during the pandemic, as well as coordinating the removal and abatement of hazardous material. Work was also completed on the base building infrastructure. A beneficiary of the Leopardo-EcoTekk decommissioning program, the new space received a donation of numerous furnishings from the decommissioning of another client’s space.
“Leopardo has a long and vibrant history with USO Illinois,” said Leopardo Executive Vice President Rick DuPraw. “Our charitable rock band Liquidated Damages has played numerous concerts for their benefit and our employees have regularly volunteered for and supported USO No-Dough Dinners for our service men and women. We are proud to serve them once again and provide a place where they can better serve our troops.”
Leopardo collaborated with USO Illinois and architecture firm Perkins Eastman to complete the project.
Photos © Andrew Bruah
