Housing Privatization comes to Tinker

  • Published
  • By Brion Ockenfels
  • 72nd Air Base Wing, Public Affairs
Despite delays caused by recent housing market woes, Airman at Tinker AFB will see improvements to base housing become a reality after Monday's real estate transaction closing. 

"One second after midnight Sunday, Balfour Beatty Communities assumed responsibility for the daily operations and maintenance for base housing," said Gene Gallogly, 72nd Civil Engineering Group director. 

Balfour Beatty Communities is not new to the housing industry. 

"We currently operate at 42 military installations across the country," said Cindy Murillo, Balfour Beatty Community manager. "Our commitment to Tinker's housing needs and family is strong, and we will continue to provide quality housing and services." 

Tinker's Balfour Beatty Community staff will host a Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the soccer fields behind Izzard Pool. Tinker residents and their families are welcome to attend and there will be food and fun for everyone.

"This is a wonderful chance for us to meet our new Tinker family," said Ms. Murillo.

In a letter sent to each home last week, Ms. Murillo assured residents that no services would be diminished but rather enhanced. 

Some of the more immediate improvements residents will see are in landscaping. And residents no longer have to mow their own lawn as Balfour Beatty Communities will mow all non-fenced yards. 

Ms. Murillo said Balfour Beatty Community will start surveying and setting up trailers beginning next Tuesday and begin moving dirt by July 28 in preparation of new home construction west of Izzard Pool on Twinning Drive.

Additionally, "our resident program, LifeWorks @ Balfour Beatty Communities, will begin immediately," she said. 

The program offers a variety of activities, seminars, and events to help residents get fit, challenge minds, interact positively with others, and enrich lives. All activities, seminars and events are free of charge to base residents. 

"Communication is key to our success," said Ms. Murillo. "We have developed several methods to keep residents up-to-date on happenings and events in addition to maintenance, repair and construction through our quarterly newsletter, The HomeFront." 

Information will also be available through flyers, meetings and articles in the base newspaper. 

"Our website, http://www.tinkerfamilyhousing.com/ is another important and valuable information source," said Ms. Murillo. "Detailed information can be found there as well as the means to make a service request." 

Tinker is part of the Air Mobility Command West project with Fairchild AFB, Wash., and Travis AFB, Calif., and is the latest addition to the Housing Privatization Initiative approved by the Department of Defense in 1996. The AMC grouped project includes a total of 2,435 units, with 660 of those units at Tinker, said Carol Hill, Tinker's base housing privatization program manager. 

The project is valued at more than $400 million. 

At Tinker, the developer will remove 432 inadequate units, renovate 262 existing homes and construct 398 new homes for an end state of 660 units, said Ms. Hill. 

Renovation of existing military housing and construction of new units must be completed within the first seven years of the 50-year lease. 

Under the agreement, the government will lease 225 acres of land for 50 years to the private developer. Of the land, 25 acres are currently undeveloped. 

Residents can contact Tinker's Balfour Beatty community office at 610-3637 if they have questions or concerns.