Construction contract awarded for new Robins commissary Published July 13, 2007 By Holly Birchfield 78 ABW/PA Robins AFB, Ga. -- The Defense Commissary Agency recently awarded a $15.8 million contract to Caddell Construction Company for the building of a new commissary at Robins. The contract was awarded to the Montgomery, Ala.-based company July 2, officially starting the clock on the 15-month construction project. The Air Force's Air Education and Training Command's DeCA Contracting Support Flight made the award under the Streamlined Construction Improvement Program and will administer the contract through the end of August 2007 when contracting functions will transfer to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District. DeCA's Design and Construction Division at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, will provide technical support. The Parsons Corporation of Pasadena, Calif., will provide construction inspection. A preconstruction conference was held Thursday at the existing commissary where the notice to proceed with the project was issued. Terry Landreth, Design Branch chief for the 778th Civil Engineer Squadron, said plans were in the works for the store, which will be located across 11th Street and face the existing Base Exchange on Macon Street, about two years ago. Scott Sisson, an architect and project manager for DeCA, who is located at Lackland, said original plans for construction on the new 70,000-square-foot store suffered a setback though when funding problems arose. But, as it stands now, the project is back on track. "It's going to be a phased project, so it's going to be about 15 months (before the project is complete)," he said. "They're going to start adding temporary parking to the existing parking area. The new parking area will be constructed to the front of the store." Mark Craddock, a civil engineer in the 778th CES, said the facility's new parking lot will provide space for about 314 patrons and Commissary employees. Mr. Sisson said patrons will have a bit farther to walk, but the store's improved amenities will make it worth the trek. New lighting and a new state-of-the-art deli and bakery are just some of the features that will woo customers. "There will be a lot more frozen and refrigerated items," he said. "You'll probably have a bigger produce area." Mr. Craddock said customers will also enjoy a 40 percent larger general sales area and grab-and-go section as well as wider aisles and a ground-level entry. Robins can expect to see the early stages of construction on the store in October, with the new facility's completion set for sometime in fall 2008, Mr. Sisson said. "We expect it to go very smoothly and finish on time," he said. Mr. Sisson said with the ongoing operation of the existing commissary, customers won't have to deal with the inconvenience of a temporary closure of the store like some construction projects call for. However, patrons will have to park across from the store for a time while the new parking lot is being established northeast of the existing store.