HESS Construction, family-owned for 37 years and headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, expands footprint of work in Montgomery County

GAITHERSBURG, MD – FEBRUARY 10, 2015: HESS Construction breaks ground Wednesday, February 11, 2015 on Montgomery County’s Public Safety Training Academy (PSTA). Located at 8751 Snouffer School Road in Gaithersburg, MD, the PSTA project represents an exciting next step in HESS’ Public/Institutional work. The groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m., and is being led by Montgomery County’s Department of General Services’ Office of Special Projects. Amongst the attendees are members of the Montgomery City Council, including County Executive Isiah Leggett; Chief of Police J. Thomas Manger; Acting Fire Chief Scott Goldstein; and Department of General Services Director David Dise.

Valued at $68 million, this complex campus is the third phase in the County’s Multi-Agency Service Park, a critical component of the County’s Smart Growth Initiative to invest in government facilities to serve its rapidly expanding population. The project will require extensive site development. With multiple structures and phases, the project demands a sophisticated partner – HESS will bring unrivaled expertise in Building Information Modeling (BIM), safety management, and sustainable practices.

“HESS is proud to construct this multi-agency training facility for Montgomery County’s first responders, giving us the opportunity to serve those who serve us,” said Andy Hess, President of HESS Construction.

The PSTA project, will span 88 acres and include Cityspace buildings, Fire Training Academy, Apparatus and Equipment Bay, Skills Pads, Fueling Station, Canine Training facilities and High-Bay warehouse. This campus, designed to simulate real-life hazards, will prepare Montgomery County’s Fire, Police, and Medical personnel with the advanced academic and practical skills training needed to protect our entire community.

The project is designated as a sustainable site and will be constructed to achieve LEED Silver, in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.