411,000 square foot building, co-developed by HRI Properties of New Orleans, is largest tilt-up structure in Gulf South

NEW ORLEANS, LA--Teamwork to save the military presence in New Orleans was the theme of the event June 27 as a parade of officials marked the ceremonial opening of the newest headquarters facility in the Marine Corps, co-developed by HRI Properties of New Orleans.

The 411,000 square-foot, $110 million building will house a daily work force of approximately 1,300 personnel and serve as the headquarters for both Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Force North. The building is the centerpiece structure at the 29-acre Federal City in Algiers on the West Bank of New Orleans.

HRI-ECC, LLC, a joint venture of HRI Properties and California-based ECC, Inc., is master developer of the Federal City area in Algiers.

Federal City is expected to become a national model for the future configuration and operation of small to mid-sized military installations. When fully developed, Federal City is projected to grow from providing over 2,000 jobs (Phase I) to hosting 10,000 Federal and civilian jobs in later phases. Planning and construction are currently underway for a high school, a campus of Delgado Community College, a YMCA, a police station and an auditorium, all utilizing historic structures on the property.

HRI is also finishing a five-story, 373,500 square-foot retail center and parking complex scheduled to opening in July. The newest building will include parking for approximately 1,000 cars to serve the employees of the new Marine Corps headquarters building. The retail section includes 32,500 square feet of ground floor retail space comprised of 15 individual bays. The parking and retail center is located in the public portion of the Federal City Town Center.

Officially dedicated as the Joseph J. McCarthy Building, the 411,000 square foot Marine Corps headquarters building is the largest in the Gulf South and the largest military facility in the U.S. to use the tilt-up construction technique that officials praised for saving both time and money.

In tilt-up construction, the exterior walls of the building are cast in concrete on site and literally tilted into place, then bolted together. U.S. Marine Corp Maj. Gen. David Mize (Ret.), ceo of the New Orleans Federal Alliance, noted that the tilt-up technique meant the building was constructed from the outside in and the top down, and was completed before the required deadline and under budget.

Featured speakers at the ceremony included: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal; U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu; U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond; New Orleans Mayer Mitch Landrieu; New Orleans Council-at-Large Member Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson; Algiers Development District Chairman Jeff Arnold and Gen. Mize.

Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, Jr. formally turned the keys of the building to Maj. Gen. Darrell Moore, director of Marine Corps Reserve Affairs.

Marine Forces Reserve is the largest command in the Marine Corps with 183 training centers located in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. An operational reserve, Marine Forces Reserve organizes, mans, equips, and trains its personnel and units to support overseas contingency operations; provide operational tempo relief for the active component; support exercises; and provide strategic depth for combatant commander requirements. The command is composed of approximately 39,600 personnel in the Selected Marine Corps Reserve and almost 60,000 personnel in the Individual Ready Reserve.

The building is named in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph J. McCarthy (1911-1996) as part of the Marine Corps commemorative naming program, which pays tribute to distinguished and heroic deceased Marines.

McCarthy was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1945 for his actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima while serving as the commanding officer of a rifle company attached to 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division. He was previously awarded the Silver Star Medal in 1944 for heroism as a rifle company commander on Saipan. McCarthy was awarded the Purple Heart with Gold Star for wounds received on Saipan and Iwo Jima.