New York Construction Report staff writer
The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded a contract valued at up to $400 million to The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company for the design and construction of new facilities at Coast Guard Training Center (TRACEN) Cape May in New Jersey.
The project represents the largest shore construction award in Coast Guard history and is part of a broader effort to modernize the service’s only enlisted accession point. The upgrades aim to expand capacity, replace aging infrastructure, and enhance training conditions for recruits and staff.
Funding for the project is provided through the Working Families Tax Cut Act (WFTCA), alongside annual appropriations. Coast Guard officials say the investment will help establish TRACEN Cape May as the nation’s premier training site for enlisted personnel.
“This marks a historic milestone in modernizing Training Center Cape May and developing the next generation of Coast Guardsmen,” said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Phil Waldron, a former Recruit Company Commander. “By improving living spaces and facilities we are not only bettering the quality of life for recruits, staff and their families, but also enhancing our Service readiness and ensuring the Coast Guard is able to meet the future demands of the Nation.”
Currently, TRACEN Cape May can train about 5,500 recruits annually without relying on temporary facilities. With the planned upgrades, the Coast Guard expects to increase capacity to more than 8,000 recruits per year by 2030.
The funding will support a wide range of permanent infrastructure improvements, including new barracks, training facilities, and support buildings. Planned work includes construction of new barracks to accommodate expanded throughput, demolition of outdated infrastructure such as abandoned steam trenches and older barracks buildings, and relocation of electrical systems to support new development.
Other elements of the project include temporary facilities with modern utility and communications infrastructure, a new parade path and review stand with updated grandstands, and a multi-purpose training facility featuring seamanship training areas, an indoor drill hall, an indoor track, and graduation space.
Additional construction will include a new galley, a modern fire station to replace a structure dating back to the 1920s, and upgraded life-safety systems. The fire station will consolidate apparatus indoors and incorporate modern ventilation and operational standards.
Officials said the improvements are intended to directly address berthing, feeding, instructional space, and safety requirements for recruits and staff. Work will be completed in phases to minimize disruption to ongoing training operations.
“This investment marks a historic milestone in modernizing our facilities and ensuring we are fully prepared to develop the next generation of Coast Guardsmen while maintaining the highest standards,” said Capt. Amanda Lee, Commanding Officer at Training Center Cape May. “By improving infrastructure and quality of life, we are not only strengthening our workforce but also enhancing our readiness and ability to carry out critical missions that protect the nation’s maritime interests.”
The Coast Guard says the expansion will support recruitment growth and strengthen readiness across its core missions, including drug interdiction, maritime border security, search and rescue, navigational safety, and support for commercial maritime trade.
