Families move into new base housing at Arnold AFB

  • Published
  • By Patrick Ary
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Capt. Allyson Benko's family is moving into a new home that has everything they need at Arnold Air Force Base.

The home is a big move up from their current on-base residence. It has a two-car garage, a spacious kitchen, a screened-in back porch and lots of storage space both inside and out. The design of the home is also energy efficient.

One of the best parts for Benko, though, is that it's all brand-new.

"I like that it's new and no one else has ever lived here," she said. "We get to be the first ones to live here."

Benko, an engineer in Arnold Engineering Development Complex's Space and Missiles Branch, and several other families at Arnold are moving into the new, state-of-the-art houses this week in Arnold Village. Officials held a ribbon cutting July 31, and families started moving in just hours after the ceremony.

The new homes built by Forest City Military Communities, LLC, are replacing units that were close to 50 years old. Forest City signed a 50-year deal in September and started tearing down the 40 existing structures that will ultimately be replaced with 22 new homes. Forest City has also taken over housing management duties at Shaw AFB in Charleston, S.C., and Keesler AFB, Miss.

Fourteen homes at Arnold have been completed. The remaining eight homes are part of phase two, which is expected to begin this fall and be completed in spring 2013.

The new homes were constructed with military families in mind, according to John Hoyt, Forest City's vice president of development.

"Through years of experience and tribulations, we've understood what our military families need compared to what the typical economy has," Hoyt said. "One thing we've learned is our military families really want the garages. They want a two-car garage - not a carport - and they need lots of storage. So we built houses with larger bedrooms. We built these houses to the maximum size the Air Force has recommended. They give a range, and we built to that maximum range that they allow."

But one of the best parts though for everyone involved is the project was finished well ahead of time; it originally was scheduled to be completed at the end of October. Hoyt attributed the quick turnaround to working with Hensel Phelps Construction.

"The biggest thing is we're not sacrificing any kind of quality," Hoyt said. "It's one thing to get it done fast, but it's another thing to get it done right. And I think we're enjoying the benefits of getting it done both fast and right."

Privatizing housing at Arnold works out as a better deal for all parties involved, according to Arnold AFB Housing Manager Mark Anderson.

"The biggest thing is, the private sector builds homes for a living," Anderson said. "That's what they do, and they do it for a profit. So they have a lot better capability of delivering homes quicker, on-time, on-schedule and on-budget than the Air Force does."

Forest City manages about 14,000 military housing units across the country, Hoyt said. The end result for Arnold AFB is market-standard housing at a lower construction cost than the Air Force would be able to provide on its own.

"It's really rewarding for us because not only are we lessening the burden as taxpayers, but we're also increasing our investment," he said.

Master Sgt. Whitney Smith, AEDC's transportation superintendent, is moving into a home with his three children and the family dog. He said the three-bedroom home he's leasing has plenty of space, as well as a few extras he's never had in military housing.

"In 21 years of my career I cannot ever say that all the base housing units that I've ever been in had a garage, and that's a big gigantic bonus for me," he said. "Just to be able to get my cars and toys out of the elements ... if I was going to buy this, it would be a selling point."

Benko's family still had items packed away in boxes from their last home when they moved to Arnold. Now those will finally get to come out in a home with about 1,000 more square feet of space to live.

"The kitchen has more cabinet space from what I currently have, which is nice," Benko said. "And I really like the big island part that comes out that you can put two barstools at."

Anderson said the families seemed happy with their new homes.

"It's been a long time getting to this day," Anderson said. "I'm pretty excited, myself, and pretty happy with the way they turned out. I had lots of good comments today from occupants and interested parties who were walking through the houses and seeing what was there."