Ingrid Barrentine/U.S. Military

(Updates at the bottom.)

The Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort is getting a new gym to the tune of $12,894,000 and it's set to be done in May of 2013.

The Charleston firm Hightower Construction Co. won the firm-fixed-price contract for the multi-story building that is to be an LEED certified gold energy-efficient building.

According to the award announcement the building will be a "steel-framed building, precast concrete exterior wall system; with a standing seam metal roof, gymnasium, utilities, parking, site improvements, built-in equipment requirements, access, asbestos abatement, demolition, and anti-terrorism/force protection."  

You can read more about the solicitation on a Navy website and The Island Packet procured a rendering of the building plan.

Update April 28: Some seven months after the contract was awarded, major structural construction of the $12.9 million fitness center has come to an end.

The Island Packet has a construction update; read it here.

The fitness center is still on track to open this time next year.