Leadership “breaks ground” for new JB MDL dorm

Published April 12, 2012
By 2nd Lt Alexis McGee
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst leadership hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new dormitory construction April 5 here.

More than 50 service members and civilians from various units on base attended the event.

The new 120-person dormitory is set to be built in the field next to the library near Dormitory 2621.

Ranco Construction, a local contract company, will build the housing facility in compliance with the new Air Force standard of Dorm 4 Airmen. This mandatory standard directs builders to create rooms, called quads, to house four Airmen. Each four-person suite will contain a private bedroom and bathroom for each Airman; a shared kitchen area, equipped with a stove, oven, microwave and refrigerator; a living room; and one washer and dryer.

"It looks like they're really stepping up the dorm quality," said Airman 1st Class Cody Miller, 87th Security Forces. "These dorms sound like a pretty cool concept."

This D4A building is the first of its kind at JB MDL and officials said the dormitory will be a good addition to the current housing facilities.

"It will be unique having four airmen share an apartment style quad room together," said Penny Shaw, unaccompanied housing manager 87th Civil Engineer Squadron. "It's a new design so hopefully it will help make the Airmen want to stay in the dorms longer."

Two dormitories were demolished in 2009 and this dormitory is being built as a replacement.

"We had a deficit of rooms since the dorms were demolished," said Shaw. "More Airmen have been moving off base since they couldn't be accommodated in the current dorms, but these new dorms will allow more Airmen to be housed on base."

The dormitory will be the first new dorm built at JB MDL in thirteen years and is scheduled for completion May 2013.

The dorm's first residents are yet to be determined, but some current dorm residents have already expressed excitement hoping they will be the first to move in.

"I live in the oldest dorm on base and there's been a lot of talk among people in my dorm about us hopefully getting moved into the new dorm," said Airman 1st Class Marquis Cole, 305th Aerial Port Squadron unit deployment manager. "I won't personally be able to live in the new dorms since I'll be moving off base but I hope the future Airmen in 2620 get to live in the new dorm."

Ranco Construction received the new dormitory construction contract Aug. 4, 2011, with a bid of $13.7 million.