Army Management Staff College to celebrate grand opening of Thayer Hall

The Army Management Staff College cuts a ribbon June 24 for its grand opening of Thayer Hall. Everyone on Fort Belvoir is invited for the opening and a free lunch. In this ceremony, AMSC will showcase what it's all about with campus tours and with information available from its marketing booth.

Other educational institutions, including the Defense Acquisition University and Barden Education Center, will also showcase their programs.

AMSC is transforming Army leaders through education. This slogan usually pertains to how the college transforms the minds and skill levels of their students to become better leaders. So, now, in addition to transformation through education, the transformation can also be a physical one. AMSC has been going through many renovations to better serve its staff, faculty and students. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is for AMSC's biggest renovation, Bldg. 270.

Building 270, also known as Thayer Hall, was built in 1935. Before the renovation, AMSC used the building for its library and fitness center. It was an old building with old problems, including asbestosis, mold, flooding, a faulty HVAC system and a lack of handicap accessibility. AMSC anticipated a future growth in class size and the college was running out of space. Building 270 has the space they need.

After almost two years of renovation, the building is ready for its grand opening. Electrical and safety codes were met, proper sealing was made to prevent flooding, and a new HVAC system is in place to prevent humidity, especially among the library books. The building also has a new elevator for handicap accessibility.

Most of the unused stack area was replaced with eight new offices, two new seminar rooms and a small conference room for the advanced course staff and faculty.

Steve Wade, AMSC's Facilities Manager, said "they were able to create 4,800 square feet of usable space within the stack area."

Technology is important for the college's vision to become the innovative center for lifelong learning. Building 270 will have the VTC capability to communicate with classrooms from other buildings and
other classes around the world. When everything is in place, students who come to AMSC will have the latest and greatest technology for their education experience.

Col. Garland H. Williams, Commandant of AMSC, wanted the fitness center to be state-of-the-art for college's staff, faculty and students. Lisa Rycroft, from faculty development, worked with hired fitness consultants to make sure the fitness center has a variety of equipment that serves the needs of the different age groups of students and AMSC employees.

With all the hard work that was put into bringing Building 270 back to life, the staff is pleased to see the final results.

Hollie Montgomery, head of AMSC's Support Services, said, "It was worth all the hard work. It's something to be proud of."

Many thanks and praise went to Wade for his hard work on coordinating with contractors to get the job done. Wade was glad to see that the building meets the college's current and future mission.