Air Force civil engineer project recognized for innovation

  • Published
  • By Breanne Smith
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas --  On one stretch along the beaches of Santa Rosa Island, Fla., construction crews are busy laying drywall and installing plumbing on the island's latest public resort.

Although the Holiday Inn Destin West Resort, being built on Air Force property owned by nearby Eglin Air Force Base, isn't scheduled to open to guests until spring 2014, the project is already receiving accolades for the behind-the-scenes work and real property innovation that is making this project a reality.

The Destin West project recently caught the eye of the U.S. General Services Administration, receiving an honorable mention in the asset management category of the Real Property Innovation Achievement Award Program.

"Being recognized through the GSA program is a significant accomplishment and is a positive reflection of the Air Force's Enhanced Use Lease program," said Charles Cyr, AFCEC Strategic Asset Utilization Division's business development branch chief. "We knew when we entered into this agreement that it was going to yield high results for Eglin. It's nice to earn recognition for the effort our division puts into developing cutting-edge real property management deals that support the Air Force mission."

Through an EUL, an Air Force program administered by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center here, Emerald Breeze Resort Group entered into a 50-year lease agreement with the Air Force to lease 17 acres of land owned by Eglin. In return, the Air Force will receive monthly lease payments based on hotel revenue. In addition to the lease payments, Eglin's 96th Test Wing will enhance its mission with a rooftop infrastructure the developer is providing as part of the lease consideration for test monitoring equipment that previously sat at ground level.

Destin West, dubbed "The Emerald Breeze Project," is not a new concept to AFCEC's Strategic Asset Utilization Division. The division, which is split into two branches, has worked with private industry, as well as local and state governments, since 2007 to identify potential EUL opportunities at all Air Force installations nationwide.

While the Destin West EUL is unique, the entire EUL program is innovative, said Kathy Bustos, an EUL asset manager and AFCEC's Destin West project lead.

"The focus of EUL's is to bring value back to the Air Force by identifying non-excess real property assets that can be tapped to provide alternate revenue streams to offset constrained fiscal budgets. Identifying the property is just the first step in creating a successful EUL like Destin West," Bustos said.

"Destin West was a team effort between the Air Force, the developer and the community," she added. "We persevered through a number of challenges, and together we came out on top. And that's an important quality we look for when identifying installations and communities for potential projects; the ability to work together and tackle obstacles as a team."

While the division is celebrating its latest achievement, Cyr said they also see this as an opportunity to set the bar even higher for their next project.

"Next year Emerald Breeze Resort Group will open the doors to a public resort that offers discounts to active-duty and retired military members, enhances our training mission and gives the base an additional revenue source ... that's next year, now our team is asking, 'What can we do in 2015?'"

For more information on the Air Force's EUL program, go to the AFCEC website at www.afcec.af.mil/eul/.