Romtec recently completed a very special project called the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway, home of the National Cold War Memorial just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. This project began over 15 years ago, though Romtec only became involved 3 years ago. It was passionate effort started by Steve Ririe to gain funding and Congressional support to build this facility. After a full year of construction, the project is finally nearing completion, and some of its most stunning features can be seen in the drone flyover shown above.
This project includes many interesting elements, like the visitor center building, the amphitheater, and the memorial elements. Romtec supplied three pavilions and one plumbed and one waterless restroom, which can all be seen at various points in the video.
Each structure was designed with the special themes and design elements chosen for the Memorial. The pavilions were designed with single pitch roofs, matching the color elements of the large visitor’s center building. They also include 3-post metal columns with stone column footings. The plumbed restroom building was a standard concrete restroom design that included a stone wainscot. After installation, the building was also outfitted with metal siding that was custom designed for this project. It was installed above the wainscot to match the siding on the visitor’s center. This gives the building a rusted metal look that evokes the history of the site.
The Spring Mountains location was chosen for the Cold War Memorial because Mt. Charleston was the crash site of a top secret military transport plane bound for Area 51. For over 40 years, the crash and the lives lost remained classified, but rusted metal from the aircraft could still be found on Mt. Charleston. To honor the lives lost and all the military men and women who served in secret, the National Cold War Memorial utilizes many elements of this historical event. One of the centerpieces of the Memorial is a propeller from the crash site mounted in a large boulder, which can be seen in the video.
Romtec specializes in site-built buildings and structures that are designed to meet specific needs in every project. To get facilities that positively impact the significance of this site, Romtec was chosen because of our ability to meet any project needs. In 2010, Romtec was also selected to provide facilities at the United Flight 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania, the final resting place of the plane crash on September 11, 2001. These types of projects require a special touch, and Romtec brings the same capabilities to each of our buildings and structures.
Enjoy this video from a drone flyover of the final construction phases of this Memorial and visitor’s center. The site is scheduled to open this spring.
