Work begins on missile defense site at Fort Greely: site preparation is under way; construction may begin this summer.

• Author: Freeland, Peggy Frank

Highly publicized and hotly debated missile defense projects have been on the American political agenda in some form since the Reagan administration, but for Alaska contractors it was a dream for decades. Then last August, Aglaq Construction Enterprises Inc. of Anchorage was awarded a Fort Greely site preparation contract of almost $5 million, and the bulldozers began to roll.

The work was subbed out to the Fairbanks firm of Brice Inc., and involved clearing trees for interceptor missile test silos, drilling two water wells, building a main access road, soil excavation, grading and other initial work. It brought the country one step closer to construction of an Alaska-based missile defense facility. At the same time, it brought jobs into the local community.

Jane Cheatham, communications director for Tikigaq Corp., the Point Hope Alaska Native village corporation of which Aglaq is a subsidiary, said, "Aglaq and Tikigaq want to use local hires in any community in which we are awarded a contract. As further contracts come our way, we will continue to do the same."

In late January, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took four busloads of potential contractors, subcontractors, union representatives and media personnel on a guided tour of the Fort Greely site. The contractors were faced with the daunting task of submitting bids by Feb. 26 for the multimillion-dollar missile defense project that was awarded in mid-April after press deadline. It entails construction of five missile silos, a missile assembly building, an electrical substation and a control station. Bid requirements included five volumes of input specifically detailing, down to the nuts and bolts to be used, how the job is to done by Sept. 30, 2004. Construction could start as early as June 2002. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the military expects to spend between $100 million and $250 million on the facility, a standard range used by military contracting offices. The money will come from the $7.8 billion Congress approved for missile defense work this fiscal year. President Bush signed that expendi ture into law Jan. 10.

OUT TO BID

In the end, only three contractors submitted bids. Two, Fluor Corp. and Bechtel Group Inc., are based in California. The other is Veco Corp. of Anchorage.

Veco's Tom Maloney said the California competitors have had more government contracts than his firm has, but Veco has a proven track record in Alaska's unique construction climate.

"If it's...