Thursday, September 04, 2008

Interior renovations continue to improve McRee Army Barracks

Photo by Paul Bello
Newly-renovated to create single-occupancy rooms, McRee Barracks includes upgraded kitchens and bathrooms, new carpeting and tiling and individual HVAC systems.

Renovations at Building 2109 of McRee Barracks have been completed and more of the same is expected to follow at the site’s five remaining buildings, installation officials confirmed recently.

Tricia Seaman, Fort Belvoir’s barracks manager and contract specialist, said interior renovations have included carpeting, retiling and painting, in addition to installing all-new showers and individual HVAC systems. A wall once dividing each two-person room has also been
taken down to provide added space in what’s now single-Soldier occupancy.

“In our book, servicemembers come first,” Seaman said. “We want to make sure they have the best quality of life possible and these improvements will go a long way in making sure that happens. We will be going live with Building 2109 soon and plans are in place for similar renovations at the other existing buildings. It’s the least we could do for our brave men and women of the military.”

For the last two years, Seaman said the installation has engaged in a comprehensive maintenance program for its McRee Barracks - resulting in $2.3 million in repairs at Building 2109. This includes an all-new, safe-lock security system, which requires Soldiers to use their identification cards for access. It replaces the old and antiquated cipher-lock system, she added. 

Another $1.7 million has also been funneled into Building 2111, which has undergone significant renovations over the last several months. To date, 12 rooms have officially met compliance for Warriors in Transition. According to Seaman, once the building is completed, many WTs will live there until Belvoir’s new WT complex is opened.

Additional funding for renovations at Buildings 2102, 2103, 2104 and 2110 are expected later this year, Seaman said. Early estimates for those upgrades are in the neighborhood of $16 million.