Green Navy Barracks Project Breaks Ground on San Clemente Island

By Lee H. Saunders, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- A groundbreaking ceremony for a $20 million San Clemente Island bachelor quarters project to house 90 Navy personnel and incorporate sustainable design principles and energy conservation was held on the island Sept. 15.

"Today's ground breaking ceremony is a major milestone as we head into the construction phase of this project," said Lt. Cmdr. Jason Chung, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest Facilities Engineering and Acquisitions Division (FEAD) director for Naval Base Coronado. "It is symbolic of turning all the planning and design into reality."

Stronghold Engineering Inc. of Riverside, Calif. is the project contractor. NAVFAC Southwest will manage the construction project.

"We at NAVFAC Southwest and Naval Base Coronado will partner with Stronghold Engineering to ensure we construct both timely and quality facility while keeping safety at the forefront," said Chung.

Stronghold Engineering Inc. will build a 2,970 square meter bachelor quarters facility that will house 90 Navy personnel that work on the island for days at a time. Construction will include special construction and foundation features, electrical utilities, mechanical utilities with a recycled water irrigation system. Paving and site improvements, environmental mitigation consisting of monitoring a federally endangered plant called the Lotus Dendroideus Traskiae, and a sewage treatment system are in the project. Demolition of buildings and lead paint and asbestos mitigation are also part of the project.

"Stronghold Engineering has worked with us very well in the design phase to ensure a well designed product and a successful addition to San Clemente Island," said Lt. j.g. Liwei Chen, NAVFAC Southwest construction manager for the SCI barracks project.

The design and construction of the project will also include sustainable design principles and energy conservation in accordance with the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

"These barracks will feature a waste-water treatment plant, photovoltaic systems, solar domestic hot water system, and wind turbines for enhanced sustainability as a part of San Clemente Island," said Chen. "The enhancements will be large enough to have future buildings tie in and use these resources."

The official party for the groundbreaking ceremony included San Clemente Island Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Cmdr. Geoffrey Herb, NAVFAC Southwest FEAD Director for NBC Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Chung, NAVFAC Southwest Construction Manager Lt. j.g. Liwei Chen, and Stronghold Engineering Inc. San Diego Operations Manager Pat Walls.

"We know that San Clemente Island is both remote and a challenging environment to work and live in," said Chung. "So we're striving to provide not just another barracks, but living spaces where Sailors are excited about staying in."

The project is scheduled for completion in August 2011.