FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
Leaders and members of the Fort Eustis community broke ground for the first of five stages of construction of a new Advanced Individual Training barracks and company operations complex during a ceremony at the site on Marshall Street March 31.
Phase I of the project is the construction of a 300-person barracks building to include rooms designed to accommodate two Soldiers with a private bath and a company operations headquarters and an arms room located on the first floor of the building.
The new billeting will also feature a dayroom with a 52-inch big screen television, a multipurpose classroom and a computer learning center.
Along with the barracks, a separate project for the construction of a two-story, 2600-person dining facility was also initiated during the ceremony. The new 62,390-square foot facility will accommodate the AIT three-shift training schedule with seating for up to 600 personnel during each shift.
The $18.6 million billeting project is due completion in May 2012; the projected completion for the $28 million dining facility is September 2012.
Construction of five additional barracks buildings will be completed in three phases.
Phase II includes the construction of two additional 300-person barracks buildings scheduled to begin December 2011.
Phase III, the construction of two 300-person barracks buildings and an outdoor running track, is scheduled to begin in 2014.
Phase IV is the construction of one 300-person barracks building as well as a brigade/battalion headquarters building, due to begin in 2015.
Like the Phase I project, all barracks buildings will include a company operations headquarters. The AIT Barracks Complex will also feature an onsite lawn equipment maintenance building.