Barracks Renovated at Naval Station Mayport

The command is still in the early stages of the project, but in the end all 78 rooms in Barracks 2234 will receive a new coat of paint and vinyl laminate flooring to enhance the look, reduce upkeep and cleaning, and generally, just provide a better living environment for the service members.

The project started based on the question, “How can we make Sailors feel more at home?” said Unaccompanied Housing Leading Petty Officer Religious Specialist 1st Class Carl Miller. “It’s a much-needed upgrade and I am glad we are getting the process done.”

Although the work started in mid-August, the planning started nearly a year ago with the Region Housing Office and the installation Public Works team. The $1 million quality of life initiative is slated to be finished around mid-November.

As the rooms are being completed, service members are being moved from other rooms in the building so they can be renovated. So far, the responses seem to be good. Seaman Phoebe Frederick (USCG) moved into her room about two weeks ago.

“The rooms still look pretty similar, but I like the new floors a lot better,” she said. “It’s nicer and so much easier to maintain.”

Each suite has two bedrooms with two single beds, two bathrooms, a laundry room, and a common area with kitchen and living room. At full occupancy, the unaccompanied housing facility can hold 312 service members.

“It takes awhile to get the ball rolling, but the process has come together and hopefully we can get this done for the Sailors on-time and on-schedule,” Miller stated. “The Sailors that have moved love the rooms and it is a great feeling moving them into what feels like a new space.”

Once this project is finished, a different project is tracking that will replace the desks and chairs in the rooms with new furniture as a further upgrade.

Projects like these are being pursued across Navy Region Southeast to help make the living areas more comfortable for the Sailors. Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans has renovations ongoing at several buildings. NAS Key West is upgrading their unaccompanied housing, NAS Pascagoula is installing new flooring in their common spaces and The Sailors at MCAS Beaufort are getting new furnishings in the barracks.

“It is a priority across the shore enterprise to enhance our Sailors quality of life,” said Navy Region Southeast’s Regional Housing Director Harold Parker. “Everyone within the Fleet and Family Readiness team cares about our service members. We attempt to meet the needs of our Sailors, and if a concern for improvement is identified we will work to meet that goal.”