Housing demolition starts at Holloman

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Heather Stanton
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Housing demolition started with a crash Sept. 18 at Holloman. 

Holloman officials began the process of renewing homes on Holloman when they demolished the first of more than 800 homes, the start of 50 years of improvement. 

"This is the most exciting and innovative thing for Airmen in the Air Force right now," said Brig. Gen. David Goldfein, 49th Fighter Wing commander. "We are taking the old housing down and providing our Airmen with better housing." 

This is a special project for General Goldfein, considering he grew up in base housing. A family is living in the house he left 30 years ago at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. 

"We just keep putting lipstick on them to cover it up," said the general. 

Actus Lend Lease LLC. is working with Soaring Heights Communities to build 388 new homes on Holloman, said Mr. Ryan Kleinau, Soaring Heights Communities development manager. 

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., is also a part of the housing privatization contract. 

"Currently, there are between 500 and 600 empty houses on Holloman," said Mr. Kleinau. "The new houses will be twice the size with bigger and more bedrooms and modern amenities." 

The new houses will have front and back porches, garages and simple landscaping, said Mr. Kleinau. 

A model of the new house will be on display by Oct.1 in the front entrance of the Base Exchange, next to the Holloman 2025 display, the long-term vision for Holloman. 

The first houses should be completed in September 2008.