In most cases, this effort drives a need for swing space to accommodate personnel during renovations. Perkins had been exploring options.
“We’ve been working this process for a while,” Perkins said. “A little over three years ago, the 88 ABW began to realize significant growth in personnel, particularly in AFLCMC (Air Force Life Cycle Management Center). We were receiving many requests for space for 20, 30 or more new people at a time. We just didn’t have places to put them.”
Those requests also weren’t coming with the lead time needed to follow standard Air Force processes. This was the proverbial “aha” moment that drove Sherman to initiate the SI Office.
Perkins quickly recognized the need to diversify his new team and brought in three Air Force civilians with work experience across the base: Gayle Ingram, 88 ABW/SI deputy director, who has worked at Air Force Research Laboratory, AFLCMC and Air Force Materiel Command; Andrea Brooks, 88 ABW/SI program manager, from Finance, Logistics, Comm., CE and Air Force Sustainment Center; and Anne Cybenko, a research psychologist currently detailed to the Strategic Initiatives Office from AFRL/711th Human Performance Wing.
Perkins and his team realized they have to address the facility space issue with a larger, strategic perspective to find out if there are better processes or different authorities needed.
“Something needs to change in order to give us the flexibility to handle this unprecedented growth. We’re doing this in support of the National Defense Strategy as well as to support the innovation and agility that’s occurring in mission partner organizations around this installation. We need to be able to be as agile and responsive to them as they are to their missions,” Perkins said.
The challenges the installation faces to acquire workspace to accommodate both mission growth and swing space stem from funding rules and lengthy processes that don’t fit the timeline and needs of an agile force. Off-base leasing, for example, takes about two years to go through the process.
“We really believe that if we could buy modular buildings and use them on the installation for their lifetime, which is usually 20 years, they could be used as swing space,” which Perkins said would allow for the renovation of existing buildings.
But proper funding takes years to acquire using the required Military Construction (MILCON) or procurement appropriations.
“The last thing we want to do as taxpayers is continue to throw money away when there should be a better solution,” Perkins added.
During their research, Perkins and his team identified another process that has been successfully used at other Air Force installations but was tried unsuccessfully at Wright-Patterson in 2014 – the Enhanced Use Lease process. In an EUL, the Air Force leases property to a developer in exchange for lease payments, paid in cash and/or in-kind, that is at least equal to the property’s fair market value.
“That’s the big difference with EUL. It’s based on third party financing – there is a private or public entity that will provide the resources to get there. The only outlay that the Air Force has is the land,” Perkins said. “However, the process is very difficult. It’s very complex.”
“Marketing and communications are important, too, because we want to generate interest in what we are doing. I’m not sure how much of that was done back in 2014 when an EUL was attempted before,” said Gayle Ingram, SI deputy director.
The SI Office has already communicated to the local community by briefing the Mayors and City Managers Forum comprised of civic leaders from Dayton and surrounding municipalities.
“Outside the gate, we need to have a good relationship with the communities,” said Anne Cybenko, who briefed the civic leaders. “The EUL goes on the federal government’s contracting website as a Request for Qualifications and is discussed at Industry Days,” she added.
EUL has success stories at multiple other Air Force Bases as precedents. Through the EUL process, the Falcon Hill National Aerospace Research Park was constructed at Hill AFB; a water treatment plant for the city of North Las Vegas was constructed at Nellis AFB; a Holiday Inn Resort was developed at Eglin AFB; the Grand Sky Business Park was developed at Grand Forks AFB; and a solar array was installed at Luke AFB through a partnership with the Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest utility company.
The SI Office recently began the seven-phase EUL process. The process, owned by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, can take a couple of years to get the lease signed before construction can begin. Using AFCEC’s timeline, Wright-Patterson’s EUL is projected to get to the lease signing step around May 2021.
“Our goal is to do our part as fast as we can,” Cybenko said.
The SI Office is optimistic that the use of the EUL process at Wright-Patterson will help with creating new workspace.
“EUL will certainly not overcome our immediate problems, but it is one intermediate term fix for where we need to go,” Perkins said.
During the next five years, the employed Wright-Patterson AFB population is expected to grow by several thousand people. The SI Office staff is hopeful they will be able to overcome current obstacles by bringing innovative solutions and advocating for strategic process changes that will help installation partners effectively execute the Air Force mission.
For more information about the 88th ABW Strategic Initiative Office, contact Ingram at 937-257-4091.
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