Tyndall welcomes privatized housing, begins building

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt Amanda Ferrell
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Tyndall leadership and GMH Military Housing employees participated in a ground breaking ceremony for the new privatized housing community here May 10.

"Today we mark the beginning of a series of improvements for military families here at Tyndall," said Bruce Robinson, president of GMH Military Housing. "Through a partnership between GMH Military Housing and the U.S. Air Force under Military Housing Privatization Initiative of 1996, military families will be provided access to safe, quality, affordable, well-maintained housing in a community where they choose to live."

Tyndall's privatized housing development will be built and managed by GMH Military Housing, and construction will occur in two phases.

Phase I will include 116 three- and four-bedroom duplex homes for enlisted families and 93 three- and four-bedroom single family homes for company grade officer families. Phase II will include 37 field grade and senior officer homes.

"The new on-base community will offer modern amenities to our military families," said Robinson. "While also offering the benefits of living in a military community where folks can find support from and common ties with their neighbors."

The land where the community will be built has been cleared, and construction crews have begun building homes. The community will be located on land between the Red Fish housing area and the Pelican Pointe Golf Course.

"The purpose of the new housing initiative is to provide our war fighters quality living quarters and a community fit for their families while they deploy down range or accomplish the mission here at home," said Lt. Col. Sue Grumbach, 325th Civil Engineer Squadron commander. "A lot of work has happened to make this day (the ground breaking) a reality."

The new housing area will include duplex and single family homes, five playgrounds dispersed throughout the community and a community center, said Robinson.

The plan for family housing revitalization at Tyndall began in February. In the first six years of the plan, 246 news homes will be constructed and 279 existing homes will be renovated, according to GMH Military Housing.

GMH Military Housing is the military housing division of GMH Communities Trust, a publicly traded real estate investment trust headquartered in Newtown Square, Pa.

GMH will work with The Benham Companies, Inc., an architectural and engineering company and with Hensel Phelps Construction Company, a Denver-based homebuilder to provide construction services for the project.

The alliance of companies is also building similar privatized housing communities on Luke AFB, Ariz., Sheppard AFB, Texas and Altus AFB, Okla.

The new housing units will be open to incoming Tyndall military members once housing units are complete. The construction plan extends the project for seven years, according to GMH Military housing.  

For more information about the development visit, www.gmhmilitaryhousing.com.

Note: For more information about military housing privatization, visit the Department of Defense Web site at www.acq.osd.mil/housing.