Classmates,
There are only seven weeks until our 40th Reunion in September. During this time I intend to send you several emails to prepare you for your visit. If you have not been to the Yard in the past few years, you are going to find several new buildings I hope you will check out. There is a lot to be excited about, but I am especially excited to tell you about the first project below, our new Alumni Association and Foundation Center. Read more to find out the details…
- U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation Center
- Although you can’t see visible construction of our new Alumni Association and Foundation Center, the project is well underway to start construction around the middle of CY2019 and be completed by the middle of CY2021. This facility is badly needed to replace the five current outdated and fragmented facilities located in Annapolis.
- The National Defense Authorization Act of 2018 authorized the Secretary of the Navy to enter into a renewable 50-year lease with the Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation (AAF) for a 3-acre plot of land on King George Street. This plot of land is across the street from the baseball field and along College Creek and is where the mail center and hazardous material handling centers are currently located. Those buildings will be demolished and those services will be moved across the Severn to the annex.
- The total cost of this project is budgeted at $20 million. Fortunately, Mr. Fred Fluegel, Class of ’61 has pledged $10,000,000 towards our new AAF Center.
- Please see the attached photos for more details.
- Rickets Hall Physical Mission Center (PMC)
- Construction started on this upgrade in May 2018 and will make Ricketts Hall a state of the art athletic facility that centralizes the physical mission of the academy.
- Another alumnus, Mr. Ron Terwilliger, Class of ’63 is the primary donor for the PMC.
- More information can be found at this link to a Capital Gazette story: http://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/navy_sports/ac-cs-physical-mission-center-20180717-story.html#
- Rear Admiral Grace Hopper Hall – Center for Cyber Security Studies
- Construction has begun on this $106 million addition to the yard located between Rickover Hall and Nimitz Hall along College Creek.
- USNA was the first institution of higher learning in the U.S. to create mandatory cyber security classes and it has graduated it first class with Cyber Security Studies degrees.
- Check out this article to learn more: https://www.usna.edu/NewsCenter/2016/04/contract-awarded-for-construction-of-cyber-building.php
- USNA Parking Garage
- Parking in the Yard has always been in short supply. So, with the new Cyber Security Studies (CSS) building being built on the site of the parking lot between Nimitz Library and Rickover Hall, additional parking had to be completed before CCS construction could begin.
- The new parking garage has been completed and is located across from Alumni Hall next to Worden Field. Check it out when you attend the parade on Friday of our reunion. BTW, please note that only DOD ID card holders can drive onto the Yard. Our reunion commiittee will provide buses as usual to shuttle us between the hotel and the Yard. Please check out Yard access requirements at https://www.usna.edu/Visit/index.php
Until my next email…
Fair winds…
Glen
Glen Woods
President, USNA Class of 1978