First BEQ tower opens at Camp Blaz; second expected soon
The first of eight long-awaited Bachelor Enlisted Quarters at Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz opened for accommodation on May 16, according to a release on May 19.
Each BEQ is six stories tall and contains 300 double-occupancy rooms for unaccompanied E1 to E5 personnel.
The release did not say which construction company successfully built the first BEQ to open, but it was likely the Cadell Construction-Nan Inc. joint venture, which was first awarded the construction in 2020 of three BEQ towers: D, E and H at a cost of $102,750,997 for D tower, $101,525,339 for E tower and $64,100,000 for H tower.
A joint venture of Core Tech-Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co.-Kajima LLC was awarded a $546 million, firm fixed-price contract for five multistory BEQs on Aug. 5, 2021. Those towers were due to be completed by May 2026, the Department of Defense said at the time.
Core Tech International said the first of its BEQ towers is currently due to open in August. Bachelor Enlisted Quarters under construction in late April. Photo by Rachel Landers, Office in Charge of Construction Marine Corps Marianas The Black Construction Corp.-Tutor Perini Corp. joint venture was awarded Aug. 18, 2021, a $98.29 million firm-fixed price contract for the construction of bachelor officer quarters at Camp Blaz. That project was due to be completed by May 2024, according to Journal files.
When all eight towers are completed, plus the 194 officers’ quarters, almost 5,000 personnel will have a place to live on Camp Blaz.
The towers are paid for by Government of Japan funding, or mamizu money as it is known.
According to the release, Marine Corp. personnel and sailors assigned to live on Camp Blaz are now transferring there. According to Journal files, the base, which had close to 100 personnel at the end of last year, was due to begin receiving about 150 logistics personnel in December from the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa. mbj
