thedrifter
10-08-05, 07:09 AM
Marines get new housing
By AILEEN M. STRENG
astreng@potomacnews.com
Saturday, October 8, 2005
In the 1960s and as a second lieutenant, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee and his wife lived in housing aboard Quantico Marine Corps base.
The town house was old. It didn't have a washer or dryer and was so small that two people could not move around the kitchen at the same time.
Hagee went back to that Thomason Park neighborhood recently to see where he used to live.
"Thankfully, it was absolutely gone," Hagee said.
Thomason Park now is comprised of almost 200 new three- and four-bedroom, 2½ bath single-family homes.
In nearby Lyman Park that houses junior enlisted Marines, there are 50 new town houses, the first of about 655 that will be built for the young enlisted families.
The town houses, which are the same size as the single-family homes in Thomason, have wall-to-wall carpeting, gas stoves and built-in microwave ovens, large spacious rooms, plenty of storage space and two-car garages.
With about 50 percent of reenlisting Marines being married, providing decent housing for the young families is important, Hagee said.
"I am absolutely committed to providing a quality of life to those Marines and their families, and this is a significant part of it," said Hagee during a ceremony held Friday to officially open Lyman Park.
The first family to move into the new town houses, Sgt. Keola Lee, his wife Danielle and their two children, began doing so Friday night. They also were invited to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony held Friday morning.
Danielle Lee said she was looking forward to moving into the new town house. The Lees currently live in some of the old base housing.
"I'm very excited," she said. "It's so different from where we live now."
The couple has two small children, Kaleb, 20 months, and Anne, 5 months. Since their current base house has only two bedrooms, Anne has been sleeping in her parent's room.
The new town houses "are so very, very nice and big," she said. "It has three bedrooms."
The baby will have her own room.
"This is the most tremendous leap in quality of life for our Marines and sailors since the 1930s," said Col. Michael Lowe, base commander.
The new base housing is a result of an initiative the Department of Defense began about 10 years ago to improve the quality of life for those in the Armed Forces. Base housing is often listed by service members as one of the most desirable benefits. However, much of existing base housing -- including that at Quantico -- is old, deteriorated and in need of constant repair and maintenance.
Replacing and renovating old base housing is happening all over Quantico.
"Houses are sprouting up all over the base. There will be more every month," said Bereket Selassie, development executive for Clark Realty. "These houses not only meet, but they exceed the quality of homes outside the gate.
The Department of the Navy, on behalf of the Marine Corps, entered into a public/private venture in 2003 with Hunt, Lincoln Clark Family Communities to design, build and maintain Quantico base housing for the next 50 years.
During those 50 years, the private venture will retain ownership of the housing while the government will pay the rent.
"I think we have finally got it right on how we are doing private/public venture housing today," said Wayne Arny, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for installations and facilities. "The quality of the housing and the amenities is far greater than anything we've been able to do with military construction."
The Quantico project calls for the demolition of 1,270 homes, the construction of 990 new homes and the renovation of 144 historically significant homes.
In all, the venture will manage and maintain 1,137 base homes for the Marine Corps.
"This is all based on a simple idea: military strength begins at home," Selassie said.
Staff writer Aileen Streng can be reached at (703) 878-8010.
Ellie
By AILEEN M. STRENG
astreng@potomacnews.com
Saturday, October 8, 2005
In the 1960s and as a second lieutenant, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee and his wife lived in housing aboard Quantico Marine Corps base.
The town house was old. It didn't have a washer or dryer and was so small that two people could not move around the kitchen at the same time.
Hagee went back to that Thomason Park neighborhood recently to see where he used to live.
"Thankfully, it was absolutely gone," Hagee said.
Thomason Park now is comprised of almost 200 new three- and four-bedroom, 2½ bath single-family homes.
In nearby Lyman Park that houses junior enlisted Marines, there are 50 new town houses, the first of about 655 that will be built for the young enlisted families.
The town houses, which are the same size as the single-family homes in Thomason, have wall-to-wall carpeting, gas stoves and built-in microwave ovens, large spacious rooms, plenty of storage space and two-car garages.
With about 50 percent of reenlisting Marines being married, providing decent housing for the young families is important, Hagee said.
"I am absolutely committed to providing a quality of life to those Marines and their families, and this is a significant part of it," said Hagee during a ceremony held Friday to officially open Lyman Park.
The first family to move into the new town houses, Sgt. Keola Lee, his wife Danielle and their two children, began doing so Friday night. They also were invited to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony held Friday morning.
Danielle Lee said she was looking forward to moving into the new town house. The Lees currently live in some of the old base housing.
"I'm very excited," she said. "It's so different from where we live now."
The couple has two small children, Kaleb, 20 months, and Anne, 5 months. Since their current base house has only two bedrooms, Anne has been sleeping in her parent's room.
The new town houses "are so very, very nice and big," she said. "It has three bedrooms."
The baby will have her own room.
"This is the most tremendous leap in quality of life for our Marines and sailors since the 1930s," said Col. Michael Lowe, base commander.
The new base housing is a result of an initiative the Department of Defense began about 10 years ago to improve the quality of life for those in the Armed Forces. Base housing is often listed by service members as one of the most desirable benefits. However, much of existing base housing -- including that at Quantico -- is old, deteriorated and in need of constant repair and maintenance.
Replacing and renovating old base housing is happening all over Quantico.
"Houses are sprouting up all over the base. There will be more every month," said Bereket Selassie, development executive for Clark Realty. "These houses not only meet, but they exceed the quality of homes outside the gate.
The Department of the Navy, on behalf of the Marine Corps, entered into a public/private venture in 2003 with Hunt, Lincoln Clark Family Communities to design, build and maintain Quantico base housing for the next 50 years.
During those 50 years, the private venture will retain ownership of the housing while the government will pay the rent.
"I think we have finally got it right on how we are doing private/public venture housing today," said Wayne Arny, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for installations and facilities. "The quality of the housing and the amenities is far greater than anything we've been able to do with military construction."
The Quantico project calls for the demolition of 1,270 homes, the construction of 990 new homes and the renovation of 144 historically significant homes.
In all, the venture will manage and maintain 1,137 base homes for the Marine Corps.
"This is all based on a simple idea: military strength begins at home," Selassie said.
Staff writer Aileen Streng can be reached at (703) 878-8010.
Ellie