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| New Base Housing To Be Available Summer 2004 |
March 14, 2003 |
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One of Largest Construction Jobs Since Big I Will Create 2,000 Jobs
Albuquerque, NM - The first new houses should be ready for occupancy by Summer 2004. And the construction that will make those homes available to Kirtland Air Force Base families will employ thousands of New Mexicans, says Congresswoman Heather Wilson. Wilson says the National Association of Home Builders estimates that more than 2,000 construction jobs will be created during the project.
Wilson joined Air Force officials today and toured the existing housing at Kirtland Air Force Base. Those homes will soon be razed to make way for new housing. Base officials announced that they have formed a 50-year agreement with Hunt Building Company, Ltd., in El Paso, Texas to design, build or renovate, and own and operate 1,079 housing units on approximately 370 acres of Air Force land.
As part of the construction and demolition phasing there is a transition timeline of up to four years. During this stage, Hunt will lease the units in West Capehart for up to three years and Zia Park for up to six years. For the transition stage and up to ten years beyond, an additional 224 existing units on 60 acres will be available for rent in Maxwell. Kirtland will keep ownership of the land, but Hunt will lease it while owning the homes, streets and utilities.
Wilson underscored the project’s significant impact on Albuquerque’s economy. There is significant opportunity for on-site jobs and for New Mexico-based construction companies to work on the project as sub-contractors.
“This will be one of the largest construction jobs in New Mexico since the Big I and will employ thousands of New Mexicans. This project will bring $173 million dollars worth of construction work to Albuquerque for the base,” said Wilson. “Our men and women in the military should have better housing than we have at Kirtland today. We need to tear the crummy units down, and build new ones a family would want to live in. Today, we’re much closer to making that a reality.”
Wilson has consistently worked to maintain Kirtland Air Force Base and keep its missions strong so that when there is another round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in 2005, Kirtland will be in good shape. Wilson, a member of one of the Congressional committees that had to render approval, said the project will significantly improve living conditions on the base and should strengthen the base’s position during the next round of Base Realignment and Closure, currently scheduled for 2005. Both the House Armed Services Committee, where Wilson serves, and the Senate Armed Services Committee had to approve the plan before today’s announcement of the agreement with Hunt Building Company, Ltd.
Congressional notification of the Kirtland project - required by law - was held up when a similar proposal at Wright Patterson Air Force Base was stalled by a key member of Congress who expressed concern with that deal. Wilson engaged the Committee Chairman involved and asked the Pentagon to move the Kirtland project forward, while promising her help to avoid any delays in the House. The project today is on the tail end of a 45-day Congressional Notification period, which started just before the holidays.
The Base currently has 1,784 housing units that many, including Wilson, describe as under par. Hunt will be now be responsible for demolishing 1,573 of those units, and will then construct 867 new ones within 3.5 years. When the project is complete, the Base will have a total of 1,078 units and will also have a commitment from Hunt to renovate or replace each of the units within 25 years of the last renovation or construction.
Last year, Wilson secured $8.4 million for a housing complex for visiting airmen and officers at the base. Currently, visitors at the base have to use off-base lodging. The existing visitor’s quarters are currently at full capacity, and a large percentage of visiting airmen must be housed in off-base contract quarters. Over 100 airmen per day are sent to contract quarters, costing the government over $3 million per year. During peak seasons, these off-base quarters can be up to 60 minutes away.
In recent years, Wilson has also added the following projects to the Department of Defense Budget for KAFB: $14 million to upgrade ramps and runways; $7.35 million to build a new fire and rescue station jointly used by the base and the Sunport; and $4.3 million to construct a new Small Arms Range and Support Facility.
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