May 21, 2009 – Forrester Construction has been awarded the Fort McHenry National Education and Administration Center in Baltimore, MD. This $6 Million project involves a new 17,000 SF Education and Administration Center, which will provide critical visitor services such as education and orientation needed to successfully and safely visit the park.

The facility will include exhibits, classroom, auditorium, consolidated staff offices, bookstore, library, conference / multipurpose rooms, partner group office space, and accessible restroom facilities. The new building is designed to achieve at least silver-level LEED (Leadership in Energy Environmental Design) Certification.

In addition to being larger and capable of handling more visitors than the original center built in 1966, the new building will feature better exhibits that are more relevant to a younger audience. An engaging audiovisual presentation will feature multiple screens, computer graphics, and high tech audio. The outer façade of the building will be comprised of two sweeping elements – one of strong red brick like the fort and the red stripe in the Star-Spangled Banner, the other of polished metal symbolizing the white stripe.

The Owner is the National Park Service and the Architect is GWWO, Inc./Architects of Baltimore, MD. Construction began May 11, 2009 and is scheduled to finish in July, 2010. The new facility will be ready to commemorate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812.