Federal Building (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

The Federal Building, originally the Burroughs Building, was a Cold War military computer systems building on the Ent Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. It was built in 1962 to be used by Burroughs Corporation for its project to build an automated facility to take input, like satellite and radar information, and instantaneously assess its degree of combat importance. The program was designed in conjunction with Air Force 425L System Project engineers and was an important component in North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)'s command and control system. It was an Ent Air Force Base building until 1975 when the base was inactivated. It then became an off-base installation to the Peterson Air Force Base. Over the next several decades there were varying uses for the building by the federal government. After 2007, the building was vacated and in 2009 it was sold.

Not to be confused with United States Post Office and Federal Courthouse-Colorado Springs Main.
Federal Building, Ent and Peterson Air Force Bases
Part of Air Defense Command (ADC)
1520 E. Willamette, Colorado Springs, Colorado[1][2]
Federal Building, Ent Air Force Base, 1962
Coordinates38°50′32″N 104°47′51″W
TypeComputer systems, Air Force Base
Site information
Controlled byUnited States Air Force
Site history
Built1962 for Burroughs Corporation[3]
Built by
  • Davis-Becker Construction Company
  • Smartt Construction Co. - Gen. Contractor
  • C. Dewey King - architect
The Ent Air Force Base (Blue) was one of several early Cold War military sites in the Colorado Springs area. It was 47 acres (19 ha).

Ent Air Force Base

Burroughs Corporation was awarded a contract to develop a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) command and control system for its Combat Operations Center. The construction project, to be completed in 1964, included construction at the underground (Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station) facility and two other phases of the project. The system, designed in conjunction with Air Force 425L Systems Project engineers at Burrough's high speed computer complex in Massachusetts, was to be "an automated facility for centralizing the evaluation of critical aerospace surveillance points, providing computations in one-millionth of a second."[4] Its sources of information included radar and satellites.[5]

The 44,000 square feet (4,100 m2)[6] or 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2)[3] two-story Burroughs Building was constructed in 1962 on 1.7 acres for the Burroughs Corporation, as designed by C. Dewey King. The building included offices and laboratories for NORAD's electronics and communications systems.[3][7] It was owned by Davis-Becker Construction company, who then leased it to Burroughs.[8]

In 1970, a Museum of Heritage collection was built for the Fourteenth Aerospace Force in Ent Air Force Base's Burroughs Building. The collection consisted of items from personnel who served with the Flying Tigers or its forerunner the American Volunteer Group in China. The displays—including Chinese coins, patches, flying jackets, and flags—were to be completed September 1970.[9]

The Army Air Defense Command, part of North American Air Defense Command and Continental Air Command, was inactivated at Ent AFB on January 4, 1975.[10] The Fourteenth Aerospace Force at Ent Air Force Base was inactivated and its personnel and units were reassigned to Air Defense Command on October 1, 1976. Ent Air Force Base was declared excess. In December 1976, personnel were moved to Peterson Air Force Base and the Chidlaw Building, near downtown Colorado Springs.[10]: 22 

Peterson Air Force Base

In 1975, the Ent Air Force Base and the NORAD headquarters moved to the Peterson Air Force Base Ent Building.[11] Until February 28, 1975, Peterson Field was an off-base installation of Ent Air Force Base; the commander of Ent oversaw Peterson Field. On March 1, 1975, Peterson Air Force Base became a primary installation and assumed Aerospace Defense Command functions that had been performed by Ent Air Force Base, which became Ent Annex, an off-base installation of Peterson Air Force Base. In 1975, the data processing building was completed.[12] The Federal Building was an off-base facility of Peterson Air Force Base.[13]

In 1993, Kaman Sciences Corporation was awarded a contract to maintain communications mission firmware and software at the Federal Building, Peterson Air Force Base, and Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Base.[14] The Federal Building was included in Peterson Air Force Base's Economic Impact Analysis in 2009.[15]

General Services Administration

By 1998, the building was owned by the United States General Services Administration and leased to the Air Force Space Command.[16][17]

Bayshore Industries was awarded a contract by the U.S. General Services Administration to maintain and operate the Federal Building in 2006.[18] The building was fully occupied until October 2006 by the Space Command.[19]

The United States Armed Forces occupied approximately 15% of the building until June 2007.[19] United States Northern Command hosted a Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration, an annual event, on June 18, 2007 at the Federal Building. It was a media event to present emerging technologies of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions (C4ISR) for military and homeland security applications. It was also a venue for Department of Defense, local and federal law enforcement, emergency personnel, and partner systems. The purpose of the event included evaluation of interoperability within the coalition and international community, such as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members, Canada, and the United Kingdom. A simulated hostage demonstration was held at the building.[20]

The Federal Protective Services and General Services Administration occupied a small portion of the building until their leases expired at the end of September 2007.[19] A bill was introduced in 2007 by Senator Allard and under consideration to transfer the building to the United States Paralympics, Incorporated, a subsidiary of the United States Olympic Committee.[6][19] The GSA sold the building, which had been vacant since 2007, in 2009 for $890,000 through its online auction.[7]

References
  1. "Colorado Federal Buildings". U.S. General Services Administration. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  2. "1520 E. Willamette, Colorado Springs, Colorado". Google maps. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  3. "Rendering of Burroughs Building". The Gazette. Colorado Springs, Colorado. March 29, 1962. p. 1.
  4. "Burroughs Corporation of Detroit to supply NORAD control system" (PDF). The Gazette. Colorado Springs, Colorado. July 28, 1961. p. 1:4. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015 – via Pikes Peak Public Library.
  5. Allen Kent; James G. Williams; Albert G. Holzman (19 March 1987). Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology: Volume 17 - Supplement 2: Automated Forecasting to Virtual Data Bases. CRC Press. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-8247-2267-8.
  6. "Senator Allard to Help Paralympic Program at U.S. Olympic Committee Expand in Colorado Springs". US Fed News Service, Including US State News. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. February 14, 2007. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  7. David Wise (January 2010). Federal Real Property: Authorities and Actions Regarding Enhanced Use Leases and Sale of Unneeded Real Property. DIANE Publishing. pp. 11, 12. ISBN 978-1-4379-1449-8.
  8. "Groundbreaking Ceremonies". The Gazette. Colorado Springs, Colorado. March 30, 1962. p. 1. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  9. "Display Plans Underway for Museum at Ent". The Gazette. Colorado Springs, Colorado. July 22, 1970. p. 20. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  10. "A Brief History of NORAD" (PDF). Office of History, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). December 31, 2012. p. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 20, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2015.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  11. Thomas F. Veale. Guarding What You Value Most: North American Aerospace Defense Command Celebrating 50 Years. Government Printing Office. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-16-087235-8.
  12. Air Force bases. DIANE Publishing. 1965. pp. 471–472. ISBN 978-1-4289-9316-7.
  13. "Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration: The Host Combatant Command Site". USNORTHCOM. 2005. p. 2.
  14. "Kaman Sciences Corp. (contract increase for maintenance, modification services of space and communications systems mission software, firmware for Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Base) (Defense Contracts)". Defense Daily. Access Intelligence, LLC. September 17, 1993. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  15. "Peterson Complex Economic Impact Analysis (1 Oct 08-30 Sep 09)" (PDF). Financial Analysis, 21st Space Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense. February 16, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2015. The Economic Impact Analysis is our way of keeping the Colorado Springs and El Paso County Communities informed of the activities of Peterson Air Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, and the Federal Building. (page 2){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  16. Congress. Congressional Record, V. 144, Pt. 19, October 19, 1998 to December 19, 1998. Government Printing Office. p. 27123. GGKEY:680WW2XCW8P.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  17. United States. Congress (2003). Senate Reports. Government Printing Office. p. 70. GGKEY:UGRXR2J8KGY.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  18. "Bayshore Industries Wins $65,140 Contract". US Fed News Service, Including US State News. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. July 15, 2006. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  19. "Senate Report 110-223. Transfer of Federal Property to the United States Olympic Committee". US Government Printing Office. November 7, 2007. Retrieved February 18, 2015.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  20. "Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration 2007 Media Day". US Fed News Service, Including US State News. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. June 11, 2007. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.

Further reading
  • "Burroughs Building". Electronics. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. May 1962. p. 134.
  • "Burroughs Wins 425L Sweepstakes". Control Engineering. Vol. 8. Part 2. Technical Publishing Company. 1961. p. 226.
  • Stephen B Johnson, Air Force History Support Office Bolling AFB DC. The United States Air Force and the culture of innovation 1945-1965. DIANE Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4289-9027-2.
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