Smoke Bomb Hill barracks renovation complete. Here's what's next for housing on Fort Liberty
FORT LIBERTY — The rehabilitation of three Smoke Bomb Hill buildings by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was completed in December, bringing soldiers a step closer to returning to the Fort Liberty barracks deemed substandard in 2022, according to the Corps of Engineers, Savannah District.
The barracks, built in the 1970s, were found to have health, and safety issues due to the faulty heating and ventilation systems that led to the growth of mold, a news release stated.
In August and September 2022, 1,189 soldiers were relocated from the barracks. Fort Liberty has yet to announce a date when the soldiers will move back in.
A $13.5 million contract was awarded to demolish 12 of the buildings, while two separate contracts worth more than $82 million were used to renovate and repair the three newly rehabbed buildings.
“The state-of-the-art solutions incorporated into the construction design of the new barracks will solve the mold concerns and improve the living conditions for future generations of Fort Liberty soldiers,” Jimmy Lou, project manager with the Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District, said in the release.
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Col. Ron Sturgeon, commander of the USACE Savannah District, said his team was the lead on the renovations project, which took about a year to complete.
Brig. Gen. Daniel Hibner, USACE South Atlantic Division commander, said the Savannah District worked with the Omaha and Huntsville districts, along with a public works team and primary contractor Conti Federal Service.
The project was completed on time, which required teamwork, said Karl Vanstavoren, Savannah District’s area engineer at Fort Liberty.
“Ultimately, these construction projects offer a more modern, comfortable space for the soldiers,” Vanstavoren said in the news release.
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Other barracks construction
The Smoke Bomb Hill barracks won’t be the only updated barracks on post.
In December, Congress approved the Army’s $85 million request within the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act to build a 102,820-square-foot barracks building at Fort Liberty for 146 junior enlisted soldiers and junior noncommissioned officers. An additional $50 million will fund a 75,706-square-foot barracks building for 146 Special Forces soldiers.
Budget documents state that Fort Liberty has a shortfall of 2,698 rooms, and new barracks will allow “older substandard facilities that have gone well beyond their intended lifecycles to improve the quality of life” for enlisted soldiers.
Construction of barracks for junior enlisted soldiers and junior noncommissioned officers is expected to start in October and be completed by December 2027.
Budget documents further state that soldiers with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command are currently living in barracks throughout Fort Liberty’s main post, “or forced to live in off-post housing.”
The documents state that new barracks will resolve a deficit in barracks spaces on Fort Liberty and move USASOC soldiers “closer to their working environment.”
Construction for the Special Forces soldiers is expected to start in June and be completed by November 2025.
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What's the latest on Fort Liberty's Smoke Bomb hill barracks?
