Building Industry Magazine - June 2014 - (Page 34)

Guam Readies for Relocated Marines Although revisions to the initial plan are slowing construction pace and reducing labor demand and housing needs, bigbudget projects are still in the works BY MAR-VIC CAGURANGAN I n mid-April the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific opened public comment for the first phase of the utilities and site improvement project at the Naval Base Guam Telecommunications Site, a proposed alternative spot for construction of a main cantonment, or military quarters, to support the Marines. Funded by contributions from Japan, the cantonment project is one of the major undertakings related to the planned relocation of thousands of Marines from Okinawa to Guam. It's also among the first of $500 million in defense projects for Guam that NAVFAC plans to award this year. According to Rear Adm. Tilghman D. Payne, Joint Region Marianas commander, the Department of Defense 34 | BUILDING INDUSTRY HAWAII | JUNE 2014 (DOD) has spent $259 million on Guam projects of $323 million allocated for the territory as part of the Defense Realignment Policy Initiative involving the relocation of Marines from Okinawa. "DOD had a little bit of trouble running into challenges in getting funding approved by Congress prior to a master plan being present, but we're working on those," Payne said in a presentation before the Guam Chamber of Commerce. "So even though you don't see (Marines) wandering around town, there's a lot of stuff going on to support the initiatives." Construction Timeline Lengthened The public comment phase for the cantonment construction began when the Department of the Navy released the draft supplemental study on the impact of the troop relocation plan on Guam. The new draft supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS), which supplements the 2010 final EIS, expands the scope of the study for the proposed live-fire training range complex on Guam based on the adjustments made to the program. The new draft study was based on a 2012 revised pact between the United States and Japan to reduce the scope of the relocation from 8,600 Marines to 5,000. The revised plan results in a lower population growth projection for Guam by as much as 78 percent, from 30,000 to 7,400. The construction period also has been adjusted.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Building Industry Magazine - June 2014

BACK ON TRACK
A LACK OF MIDDLE-INCOME HOMES
GUAM READIES FOR THE MARINES
STANFORD CARR: Kudos for a Visionary
HLPA’s 2014 Wood & Lumber Resource Guide
News Beat
Datebook
Contracts Awarded
Low Bids
Spotlight On Success: Kaiser Kona Medical Office Building
HWEA Photo Contest
New Products
Best Practices

Building Industry Magazine - June 2014