The U.S. Coast Guard is continuing a sweeping modernization of Coast Guard Base Charleston in South Carolina with the award of a $230 million design-build contract for new engineering, housing and support facilities that will strengthen the installation's role as one of the service's premier East Coast operational hubs.
The Coast Guard's Facilities Design and Construction Center awarded the contract June 16, 2026, to Birmingham, Ala.-based Brasfield & Gorrie LLC. The project, which is expected to be completed in 2030, is the latest phase of a multiyear effort to expand and modernize the base's infrastructure to support a growing fleet and improve operational readiness.
The contract includes construction of a 90,000-sq.-ft. engineering complex that will consolidate numerous maintenance and support functions critical to Coast Guard operations. The facility will accommodate facilities engineering and naval engineering units, electronics support operations, industrial production activities, boat storage, shipping and receiving operations and hazardous materials storage.
By bringing these operations together in a modern facility, the Coast Guard expects to improve efficiency while enhancing its ability to maintain and support cutters and other vessels assigned to the Atlantic region.
The project also includes construction of a 120,000-sq.-ft. multifunctional building designed to improve quality of life for Coast Guard personnel stationed at the base. The facility will include a 75-room unaccompanied personnel housing structure, a galley capable of serving approximately 650 patrons, a fitness center and a Coast Guard Exchange.
In addition, Brasfield & Gorrie will construct a new parking structure to accommodate personnel assigned to cutters homeported at Base Charleston. As the installation expands and additional personnel are assigned to support newer vessels and missions, officials expect the parking structure to improve access and reduce congestion throughout the base.
The project will be delivered using the design-build method, allowing design and construction activities to overlap and helping streamline project delivery. Following the award, the contractor will complete the design phase before moving into site preparation and phased construction. The Coast Guard anticipates the new facilities will be operational in 2030.
The latest award follows two major contracts announced earlier this year that are part of the same long-term modernization initiative. Those projects include recapitalization of Base Charleston's Pier Mike and construction of a new medical and dental facility.
Pier Mike serves as one of the installation's primary waterfront facilities, supporting Coast Guard cutters with berthing, logistics and maintenance activities. Modernizing the pier will improve its ability to support current and future vessels while replacing aging infrastructure.
The new medical and dental facility will provide expanded health care services for Coast Guard personnel and their families, complementing the quality-of-life improvements included in the newly awarded support building.
Together, the three contracts represent more than $440 million in infrastructure investments that officials said will transform Base Charleston into a modern, resilient installation capable of supporting the Coast Guard's next generation of cutters and the personnel who operate and maintain them.
"The strategic expansion of Base Charleston is vital to our maritime operations and national security," said Vice Adm. Jo-Ann F. Burdian, commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area. "This investment not only supports homeporting of our newest cutters, it ensures our dedicated service members have the modern infrastructure, healthcare and support facilities they deserve to maintain peak mission readiness."
Base Charleston has become an increasingly important installation within the Coast Guard's Atlantic Area, supporting engineering, logistics, maintenance and operational activities for cutters assigned throughout the region. As the Coast Guard continues to modernize its fleet and expand mission requirements, officials have identified the base as a key location for enhancing maintenance capabilities and operational support.
The projects also reflect the Coast Guard's broader effort to revitalize shore infrastructure across the country. The service has identified aging facilities as a long-term challenge as it prepares to support newer vessels and emerging missions.
All three Charleston contracts were awarded through the Department of Homeland Security's National Multiple Award Construction Contract III, a strategic sourcing vehicle used for major federal construction projects.
The work is supported in part by funding provided through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes a historic $25 billion investment in the Coast Guard. According to the service, the legislation represents the largest capital investment in Coast Guard history and is intended to accelerate modernization of cutters, aircraft, shore facilities and maintenance infrastructure.
Using that funding, the Coast Guard already has committed more than $10 billion toward new operational assets and capabilities while directing an additional $3 billion to depot maintenance and shore infrastructure improvements. Officials said the investment is intended to restore readiness, modernize acquisition and revitalize installations across the country.
Brasfield & Gorrie is among the nation's largest privately held construction firms and has extensive experience delivering military, federal, industrial, health care and commercial projects throughout the Southeast. The company has completed numerous projects for the U.S. military, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other federal agencies, making it well positioned to deliver the complex, phased construction required at an active military installation.
Future phases of the Base Charleston expansion are expected to further increase the installation's operational capacity while providing additional facilities to support Coast Guard personnel and missions in the region.
