DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. – Leaders, personnel, and industry partners gathered at the Detroit Arsenal Monday, Sept. 28, to “break ground” on a new, centrally located Java Cafe, marking a major milestone in ongoing efforts to enhance quality of life and community spaces for the installation’s workforce.
The groundbreaking ceremony officially begins the relocation of the popular Java Cafe from its long-time basement location to a modern, highly visible facility designed to serve as a central hub for the Detroit Arsenal community.
“The Detroit Arsenal is a place where [our workforce] not only feel good about the work that they do and the people they do it with, but the place where they do it as well,” said Brig. Gen. Beth A. Behn, commanding general of the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command. “It fires me up every time I walk past the marketplace kiosk and see the people sitting and talking and enjoying the camaraderie that should be part of a workplace. I think the Java Cafe will be that in spades.”
Behn and Garrison Manager William Cole both spoke at the event, highlighting the project’s alignment with senior leadership's commitment to prioritizing workforce morale and modernizing installation infrastructure.
"This has been a few years in the making,” Cole said. “It’s about a $1.5 million project overall. We appreciate what this is going to do for our community.”
Representatives from AEW, the project's architectural design firm, and Quadrate Construction, the contracted builder, were also on hand to mark the start of the physical phase of the development, which relies on close coordination between the garrison and its contracted partners.
Following the formal remarks, Behn, Cole, and Command Sgt. Maj. Kofie B. Primus took up ceremonial sledgehammers to officially knock holes in an existing wall to kick off construction. The new Java Cafe will be located on the first floor of Building 270. Construction is scheduled to begin in October 2026 with an estimated completion in spring 2027.
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