FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Fort Carson Directorate of Public Works and Balfour Beatty Communities officially launched work on the post's newest housing project Aug. 3, 2015, by starting demolition of existing homes in the Cherokee Village neighborhood.
Seconds after Garrison Commander Joel D. Hamilton gave the order, a Balfour Beatty Construction heavy-equipment operator sunk demolition jaws into the roof of a townhome that had stood near the corner of Harr Avenue and Fort Street for more than 50 years.
"This is a bittersweet day," Hamilton said. "It's been a long time coming, so maybe it's a little more sweet, but I've been approached by members of the community who asked me for bricks from these buildings because they grew up in this neighborhood."
Constructed in 1963, the Cherokee Village Housing Area has since housed approximately 3,900 Soldiers and Families.
"If these walls could talk they would tell stories of Soldiers and Families saying goodbye," Hamilton said. "They also tell stories of Families being reunited, but they're all stories of detailed sacrifices."
The venture ultimately entails demolishing 144 units and replacing them with 144 modern, energy-efficient, three- and four-bedroom homes. The project is a $54 million partnership between the Army and BBC and is planned to be complete in two years.
"The strength of our Army is its Soldiers, and most importantly the strength of our Soldiers are their Families," Hamilton said. "We want our future Soldiers and their Families to be able to live in a wonderful, safe place, and that's what's going to be represented in this area once we get these 144 homes built with the latest, advanced designs. For our Soldiers who are placed in harm's way, they can have peace of mind that their Families have a place to call home."
During the first phase of the project, demolition and construction crews will begin work on the neighborhood east of Harr Avenue, which includes 114 homes, according to Steve McIntire, Balfour Beatty Communities project director. Crews will start demolition and construction work at a later date in the neighborhood west of Harr Avenue, an area that includes 30 homes.
Diana Kinlaw, Balfour Beatty Communities regional director, said the planning and negotiation process for the new housing area started back in 2008, so there are a lot of people who worked behind the scenes during the past few years to help bring it to fruition.
"Through the people who've worked here and the Families who have lived here, it's obvious that this place has been important to the community," she said. "During my first visit to Fort Carson people asked what we were going to do with these older homes. For the past few years we've been focused on building new homes and we've built more than 800. Now, we're headed in a new direction, where we begin to replace legacy homes. The end result will be something we're all proud of."
When completed, the new housing will offer military Families assigned to Fort Carson close access to on-post schools, shopping and other amenities.
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