LAWTON – The FISTA Development Trust Authority is moving forward with plans to install an anechoic chamber – a soundproof room for testing electronic devices against regulatory standards – at the FISTA Innovation Park.
The authority voted unanimously Jan. 21 to approve a professional services agreement with the Oklahoma City-based firm Tradesman Architectural Studios, which will help FISTA procure the anechoic chamber. Tradesman will also design and oversee construction of and a stand-alone building to house the chamber, which will be located on the south side of Central Plaza in the parking lot.
FISTA officials are looking forward to having the chamber at the Innovation Park, said Chairman Mark Brace.
“It’s going to create its own ecosystem here,” he said. “So, pretty exciting.”
The anechoic chamber will consist of a large chamber that can test anywhere from .5 to 26 gigahertz, and a smaller one that can test from .4 to 17 gigahertz, according to the Tradesman agreement. The associated building will be approximately 132 feet by 175 feet and capable of allowing a semitruck to drive through for deliveries.
In addition to housing the anechoic chambers, the building will include labs, server rooms, conference rooms and offices, according to the agreement. A large portion of the building will be capable of holding classified status.
Tradesman’s tasks will include working with FISTA to develop separate requests for proposals for construction management and procurement of the chambers. The company will also manage the RFP process and evaluate bids for compliance with the project’s goals.
Tradesman will also create final construction documents and provide bidding and construction administration services.
FISTA officials have budgeted about $7 million for the project, which will come out of a $20 million grant from the state of Oklahoma. The grant came from the state’s portion of American Rescue Plan Act dollars, which were aimed at helping local governments recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.