Army: ~$9.08M to build an AI Manufacturing Research center (AIMR-2C) — a design-build contract at Wright-Patterson AFB (USAspending)
The U.S. Army awarded about $9.08M ($9,081,400) for the design-build construction of an "AI Manufacturing Research Capability Center (AIMR-2C, Building 653)" at Wright-Patterson AFB (WPAFB), Ohio. Recipient: Butt Construction Company. An example of public AI spending reaching buildings and facilities.
Contract key facts
- RecipientBUTT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED
- Contract value$9,081,400 (≈$9.1M)
- Awarding agencyDepartment of Defense
- Awarding sub-agencyDepartment of the Army
- Award typeDEFINITIVE CONTRACT
- Period of performance2026-01-25 〜 2027-12-11
- Contract ID (PIID)W912QR26CA010
Contract scope (original)
DESIGN-BUILD (DB) CONSTRUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH CAPABILITY CENTER (AIMR-2C) BUILDING 653 LOCATED AT WPAFB, OHIO.
Key points
- The Army is building an "AI Manufacturing Research center (AIMR-2C)" via design-build
- Located at Wright-Patterson AFB (WPAFB), Ohio, Building 653
- Value ~$9.08M, period of performance January 2026–December 2027
- An example of public AI spending reaching buildings/facilities, not just software/chips
- Stands up a facility to apply AI to manufacturing
The contract is "design-build" — a delivery method placing both design and construction with a single contractor.
Why it matters: public AI spending is usually imagined as software, services, or chips, but this is a construction contract that builds the very facility where research happens. Standing up an "AI Manufacturing Research" center signals a committed effort to apply AI to manufacturing. The recipient is a construction firm, showing that government AI-related spending also flows into construction and local economies (details on the building's exact use and size are beyond the scope).
Why it matters
A concrete example of public AI spending reaching the construction of research facilities, not just software or chips. Useful for reading the build-out of AI × manufacturing research infrastructure and AI spending's ripple into construction and local economies.
FAQ
What is "design-build"?
Why does AI spending include construction?
Sources (primary)
This article is an independent organization based on the U.S. official spending data below. Verify the exact, latest details with the official source.
- USAspending (award details)
- Contract ID (PIID)：W912QR26CA010