$19.5 Million w/(LEED) for Houston National Cemetery

VA Announces $19.5 Million Construction Contract for Houston National Cemetery

WASHINGTON – November 16, 2010 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded a nearly $19.5 million construction contract for gravesite expansion and improvements at the Houston National Cemetery in Texas.

“We are pleased to continue to develop this national shrine,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Shinseki. “VA is committed to providing the best possible service to the Veterans of Texas by developing new burial areas and improving existing facilities at Houston National Cemetery.”

The contract was awarded to Decatur Construction, Inc., a service-disabled Veteran-owned small business from New Braunfels, Texas, for $19,482,000. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2013 and will develop the cemetery’s fourth phase.

Construction will include approximately 30 acres to support 10 years of projected burial needs. Plans call for 18,860 pre-placed crypts for casket burials; 5,750 columbarium niches for cremation remains; a new public information center; new funeral cortege lanes; new public restrooms; two new storage buildings; a new committal shelter; new detention/irrigation ponds; renovations to the entrance; new roadways and improvements to existing ones; walkways, grading, drainage, fencing and landscaping; and utility distribution and storm sewers designed for environmental preservation and mitigation.

The project will incorporate Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) improvements. The LEED Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. {read rest}