The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg will break ground for its new headquarters building at a ceremony Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at ERDC’s campus off Halls Ferry Road.

ERDC Director Dr. Jeffery P. Holland will officiate at the ceremony. The keynote address will be given by 2nd District Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.

Birmingham, Ala., contractor Yates Construction Co. began work on the project in April, and construction will be done in five phases, 1A, 1B and 1C, and 2 and 3.

Phase 1A involves construction of a new boulevard to the new building and is expected to be completed in 150 days. Phases 1B and 1C will connect the boulevard to existing roads on the campus. The second and third phases will involve construction of the new building.

When completed, the 142,000 square-foot building will include a four-story southern wing and a three-story northern wing, connected by a centrally located 6,100 square-foot atrium. It will include 4,500 square feet of classroom space, a 500-seat auditorium, a 100-seat conference room, a 50-seat video/teleconferencing room, and a 6,350-square-foot archival library. It will house ERDC’s major command staff division and executive offices under the same roof for the first time in the organization’s history.

Besides the executive offices, the building will house the offices of health services, safety, security, equal employment opportunity, contracting, internal review, the director of public works, public affairs and resource management, and the office of counsel.

The building will be located in the center of the ERDC campus, making it accessible by all employees.