ORANGE, Texas — Historic barracks that once housed members of the U.S. Navy, are now being converted to an office space for Golden Triangle Polymers employees.
This is a part of the Chevron Phillips $8.5 billion plant expansion.
The new office will house 150 engineers, process operators, maintenance technicians, supervisors and other office personnel supporting the day to day work of Golden Triangle Polymers.
Workers from all over the US, Korea and Japan will be coming to Southeast Texas to work in the new space.
"We're using it for an office space as well as the pier. There were 13 piers out on the Sabine River, and so all of that was active and they had a whole fleet out there," said Port of Orange Executive Director Lorrie Taylor.
The building, which is located along Highway 87, was originally built in the 1940s. These World War II navy barracks have sat empty and unused since the 1970s.
The property has been owned by the the Port of Orange since 2009. They've been looking for someone to lease since then.
It caught the eye of Golden Triangle Polymers,
"Asked is this building, the sign says it's for lease, is that true? Lorrie said yes it is. And we took a tour of it and it just, we could see the possibilities, and the need met the resource," said said Golden Triangle Polymers Maintenance Manager Craig Lemons.
A lot needs to happen to modernize the two story 18,500 square-foot building.
"And the work that they're doing over the next few years is really, preparation for operations. You know getting all of our policies, and procedures in place, doing the training, making sure our work process are established. And will practice them before it's time to hit the button and go," Lemons said.
All 150 employees who will work out of these barracks will be at their desks by March.