NAVFAC Southeast awards $27.2M contract for new entry control facility at NAS Key West

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a $27.2 million firm-fixed-price contract Sept. 2 to Sauer Construction LLC of Jacksonville, Florida, for construction of a new entry control facility at Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West, Boca Chica Field.

The project, scheduled for completion by Oct. 7, 2027, will modernize NAS Key West’s primary access point to enhance security, streamline access, and support mission readiness.

“This project is about more than construction, it’s about ensuring force protection and mission readiness,” said Capt. Colin Thompson, NAS Key West commanding officer. “By modernizing NAS Key West’s entry control point, we’re strengthening security and enabling personnel to operate with confidence. A secure base is the foundation of warfighter lethality and readiness.”

The new facility will replace outdated infrastructure with modernized security features designed to safeguard sailors, families, civilians and mission partners who live and work on base. The project includes demolition of existing guard shacks, canopy and the Visitor Control Center, as well as construction of two new guard shacks with a protective canopy, a new Visitor Control Center with Common Access Card processing and an ID lab, a guard house with an integrated search office, a privately owned vehicle inspection area with canopy, an overwatch structure, a new parking lot, and associated utilities and support facilities.

NAS Key West is a critical hub for Navy training and operations, supporting naval aviation, joint and allied exercises, and national defense missions. The new facility will streamline access while enhancing the safety of everyone who enters the installation.

NAVFAC Southeast continues to deliver facilities that directly support the Navy’s mission to remain the world’s premier maritime force.