Hill AFB, Boyer Hill celebrate major milestone

  • Published
  • By Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  A crowd gathered to watch March 9 as a bulldozer demolished the last of the remaining 1960s-era military family housing units here. The demolition marked the 466th and final unit to be torn down at Hill, closing one chapter in base housing history and opening up another.

Base-level personnel and project owner representatives from Boyer Hill Military Housing were on hand to witness this important event. Attendees included 75th Air Base Wing Commander Col. Patrick Higby; 75th Civil Engineer Group Director Harry Briesmaster and BHMH President Mark Pace.

The 50-year-old Capehart units were originally built in the area due to its prime location, said Mr. Briesmaster.

"With large shade trees, quiet streets and pleasant surroundings, these units provided excellent housing for several generations of military families," he said.

Now it's time to make way for the next generation.

"The demolition of the final Capehart homes (at Hill) represents a significant milestone in the effort to improve the housing for Hill Air Force Base's military families," said Mr. Pace. "Once the staple of on-base housing, the Capehart units have been systematically replaced with a variety of two-level and rambler style homes with modern features."

Examples of updated features include Energy Star appliances, two-car garages, covered front porches and central air conditioning. In addition to quality housing, military families will have access to a variety of community amenities including a splash pad, tot lot and jogging/walking trails. There are also plans to build a "destination playground" featuring toys that interact with the child's movements.

At the conclusion of the construction period in September, BHMH will have delivered 437 new homes and renovated 583 units for Air Force families, including 21 historic homes.