TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The Installation of the Future reached another milestone along its path to recovery recently with a $91.5 million contract award for a new temporary lodging facility.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District awarded the contract to B.L. Harbert International to construct the new facility at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
“It is very exciting to see the hard work of programming and design come to fruition as we continue the Tyndall AFB rebuild efforts,” said Lt. Col. Andrew Hoisington, execution branch chief for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Disaster Recovery Division. “The lodging facility is a vital facility for our Airmen and families.”
The five-story lodging facility will offer 360 guest rooms, including 18 business suites, and services to include a restaurant, business center, training rooms, fitness area, guest laundry and administrative services. The 221,261 sq. ft. facility will be built to withstand 170 mph hurricane-force winds – greater than that of Hurricane Michael, the category five hurricane that decimated the installation’s lodging facility in 2018.
“The new lodging facility will be modern and unique, providing Airmen who come to support the new F-35 mission comfort and security,” Hoisington said. “This facility will have a good combination of conveniences and aesthetics to create an enjoyable stay experience.”
Construction for this project is anticipated to reach completion in April 2024.
The project is the second full-fledged military construction project to move into the construction phase for the Tyndall recovery rebuild. It is the first to be awarded through a new multiple award task order contract. This procurement strategy provides pre-qualified contractors with a proven history of performance and promotes competitive pricing, increasing cost-savings for the government.
“Based on the success of this MATOC award, USACE plans to award the dorms, community commons and chapel through the same procurement and project delivery method,” said Milea Franklin-Webb, southside lead for the division’s execution branch. “This award method, combined with the extra effort from our design and review teams, resulted in this award amount being below budget.”
The nearly $5 billion rebuild at Tyndall will be a five-to-seven-year-long process, which includes over 40 new military construction projects and 260 facility sustainment restoration and modernization projects. To learn more about these efforts, visit the Tyndall Program Management Office site.