Fort Lee construction projects march along - News

Fort Lee construction projects march along

Army says it is on schedule with $700 million -- and counting -- base expansion

Sunday, Aug 17, 2008 - 12:08 AM Updated: 01:29 AM

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By PETER BACQUE

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

VIDEO: U.S. Army

The Army's digging in at Fort Lee.

Dirt is flying, concrete is flowing and buildings are rising at the Prince George County post, where more than $700 million worth of construction is under way.

"We're on schedule with the projects," said Albert Cruz, Fort Lee's BRAC construction office project manager. "The weather's been in our favor."

Fort Lee eventually will see a total of $1.2 billion in new projects by the time the Base Realignment and Closure process wraps up in 2011, said William G. Robson of the Army Corps of Engineers.

Because of the BRAC plan, Fort Lee is becoming the hub of the Army's logistics training and planning efforts.

The service's Transportation Center and School is moving to Fort Lee from Fort Eustis in Newport News, and the Ordnance Center and School is coming from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., and Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. The Quartermaster Center and School is already located at Fort Lee.

Lee's military and civilian population is expected to more than double -- to almost 34,500 -- by 2011 as a result of the consolidation.

Major projects under way include:

Ordnance School Campus, $440 million, completion May 2010;

Army Logistics University, $110 million, completion April 2009;

Sustainment Center of Excellence, the "corporate headquarters" for logistics, $50 million, completion December of this year;

Vehicle Recovery Training Complex, $31 million, completion April 2009;

Soldier Support Center, $23 million, completion April 2009; and

Defense Commissary Agency expansion, $21 million, completion October 2009.

The Corps of Engineers is responsible for overseeing the massive building program -- 5.5 million square feet by 2011.

"As we're completing facilities, we're still going to be having construction going on," Cruz said, "all the way through 2011."

But "for the users," he said, "it becomes a turn-key process. The soldiers will show up and say, 'OK, we're here to train'" and be able to start work immediately.
Contact Peter Bacqué at (804) 649-6813 or pbacque@timesdispatch.com.