$315 million NC military construction budget outlined for 2019

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Ft. Bragg
Ft/ Bragg

North Carolina military bases will experience more than $315 million in new construction under the 2019 defense budget released on Feb. 11.

Overall, the $315 million proposed for military construction in North Carolina is the most for the state since 2016, when nearly $412 million was set aside for local projects.

The construction includes significant projects at Fort Bragg, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and Marine Corps Air Station New River, The Jacksonville Daily News reports.

At Fort Bragg, officials have set aside more than $42.3 million to build a new dining facility and two projects for special operations forces. Budget documents indicate the dining facility has a $10 million construction budget. It would replace an older, outdated dining hall in Fort Bragg’s Aberdeen Training Facility.

Other Fort Bragg special operations projects include a training maze and tower, which would be replaced at a cost of $12.1 million. And a survival, evasion, resistance and escape training laboratory complex that would cost about $20.2 million, the published report says.

The budget proposal for Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point includes more than $133.9 million for a two-story aircraft maintenance hangar to house F-35s and more than $106.8 million for flightline utility modernization.

Several buildings will be demolished to make way for the new hangar, according to budget documents.

Meanwhile, at Marine Corps Air Station New River, officials have allocated more than $32.5 million to replace an ambulatory care center and dental clinic.

The report says no military construction dollars have been set aside for projects at other major North Carolina military installations, including Camp Lejeune and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

Scott Dorney, executive director of the Fayetteville-based N.C. Military Business Center, said the military construction budget was great news for the state. He said North Carolina businesses could see another $100 million in various contracts related to the military spending.

Only three states — California, Maryland and Missouri — received more projects than North Carolina.

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