Photo By Jacob Bertram | Roof-top construction is underway on an F-35 Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at Marine...... read more read more
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In May 2020, it was announced that Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point would undergo a series of construction projects to transform and modernize the air station. As such, these renovations will allow Cherry Point to be a key installation for the future of Marine aviation and its next-generation fighter aircraft.
The major construction projects can be filtered into two main categories — F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and Hurricane Florence Recovery. Construction on the F-35 Lightning II projects broke ground in September 2020 and will wrap up in early 2028. Hurricane Florence Recovery projects are estimated to be completed in 2025.
Some of the most anticipated and high-profile projects include those related to the F-35. The first of three F-35 hangars and a simulator facility are estimated to be online by December, with the first squadron currently scheduled to move in June 2023. Another construction project related to the F-35 is the utilities project, which is essential to bringing those facilities online and in a working capacity. With these additions, MCAS Cherry Point will become the new home for the F-35.
“The hardest part right now is the strict timelines,” said Brian Statler, supervisory construction manager for OICC Florence. “F-35 is coming; and we’ve got to get these projects completed to meet that mission or the mission of the F-35 here at Cherry Point is delayed.”
Once completed, these additions and renovations will have a direct impact on the readiness of units on the air station, as well as those that utilize surrounding training ranges. In order to bring the new squadrons to MCAS Cherry Point over an eight-year period, the air station will need to complete its modernization program, which entails the overhaul of installation infrastructure, upgrading utilities, improving roadways, and enhancing airfield security.
As for the Hurricane Florence Recovery projects, those include a new Provost Marshal’s Office (PMO) and Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron building, which will be situated adjacent to the MCAS Cherry Point and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Headquarters building. The project is on course to be completed by July 2023. Also in the vicinity is the construction site of the new station auditorium, which will wrap up construction toward the end of 2024.
“If you drive past the current auditorium, you’ll see there’s a lot of dirt in the parking lot,” Statler said. “They’re pre-loading. They’re compacting that soil to hold the new auditorium.” The old auditorium will be demolished once the new one is completed.
The Hurricane Florence Recovery projects also include two new fire stations and a new motor transportation and communication shop, which are on track to wrap up by August 2024 and August 2025, respectively. Its new location will be along Roosevelt Boulevard, across from the Water Treatment Plant. Those projects recently ramped up when trees were cleared from the area where the buildings will soon stand with timber from those clearings harvested and reforested.
Also part of the Hurricane Florence Recovery projects is demolishing the MCAS Cherry Consolidated Service Center, which also houses the library. The preliminary plan for the library itself was to have minimal paint and updates, while the rest of the facility would undergo a full renovation. However, multiple unforeseen issues were discovered during renovations, which would have put the project over budget. The facilities directorate is currently working on next steps for the building.
For more information about the transformation and modernization of MCAS Cherry Point, visit https://www.cherrypoint.marines.mil/Info/Transformation/.
| Date Taken: | 06.29.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.30.2022 09:52 |
| Story ID: | 424012 |
| Location: | CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 262 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Under Construction: F-35 construction and Hurricane Florence restoration projects ongoing, by Samantha Kupiainen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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