By Samantha Harms, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Public Affairs
FORT HOOD (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas – The first concrete slab foundation was poured Dec. 21 for new housing builds in the old Chaffee Village area here.
This is the first of 51 foundations slatted to be poured in the coming weeks, with four slabs to be poured, weather permitting, before the new year.
“The pouring of the first foundation is a momentous occasion because it means Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) is one step closer to delivery of new, modern housing for our Army Families,” shared Chris Albus, project director, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Family Housing. “These homes are the centerpiece of Lendlease’s $420 million investment, but are only part of a much larger, on-going development plan. All these projects are improving the quality of life for residents and generating readiness for the Army.”
In all, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Family Housing and Lendlease will build nearly 600 new homes for junior enlisted Soldiers and their families in the next three years. Vertical construction of the spacious three-bedroom, two bath floorplans is estimated to begin in mid-January 2023.
The homes will be Energy Star certified and designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Standards. They will offer open floorplans, gathering spaces for families, modern finishes, increased storage and more amenities.
These new homes are just part of the overall community development happening at Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos). More than 800 homes have received new exterior paint, more than 2,500 homes are in the process of having roofs replaced and more than 1,300 homes are in the process of having the interiors renovated as well. This comes in addition to already having completed several upgrades in the housing communities, including trimmed trees, removal of dead trees, re-sloped driveways, sidewalks repaired and homes that were made more accessible.
According to Albus, all new construction and renovations should be completed by 2026.
“Today is a huge milestone for our installation, and it was great to be out here to witness it,” said Col. Chad R. Foster, commander, U.S. Army Garrison – Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos). “These builds are part of the commitment made by the Army and our privatized housing partners to improving the quality of life for our military families here in Central Texas.”
Broll of the newly poured foundation in Chaffee Village Dec. 21. (U.S. Army video
Samantha Harms, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Public Affairs)