Lincoln Drive to receive new look

  • Published
  • By Valerie Mullett
  • 341st Space Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AFB, MONT. --  Housing construction on Malmstrom is everywhere you look and the latest area to be fenced off to prepare for new units is in the Lincoln Drive area. It also includes the long-time vacant units on Washington Circle that once housed the chief master sergeants stationed here. 

"There are 310 units being demolished in this phase of the project," said Larry Boggs, housing most efficient organization manager. 

According to the construction plans, the project will move along with the help of several crews. The demolition of the units on Washington Circle started in mid-October. Once those units are downed, the demolition crews will move into Lincoln Drive and the cleanup crews will take over where they left off. When the cleanup crews move to the next area, construction crews will move in to start pouring foundations and reconstructing new units. The process will continue until all of the housing has been renovated. The project is expected to take two years, according to Dave Dower, chief of contracts for the 341st Civil Engineer Squadron. 

"Lincoln Drive has virtually been cut in half," Mr. Dower said. "The units affected in this first phase are already fenced off and a detour has been established around the construction area." 

This detour will take residents and their visitors on a course that has never been a thoroughfare before - behind housing units through an alley that houses garages and back onto Lincoln Drive. Signs pointing to the detour area are in place. In addition, Pine Street will become accessible to both inbound and outbound traffic. In the past, it was an inbound lane only. The other exit from Lincoln Drive during construction of Phase A is via Cedar Street. There are approximately 126 families still residing in Lincoln Drive housing, according to Mr. Boggs. 

The eight new three- and four-bedroom units that will be constructed in place of those being torn down on Washington Circle will be similar to those being constructed in the other areas on base. All of them will be single family homes earmarked for chief master sergeants and ranging in size from 2,300 to 2,700 square feet. 

The units slated for the Lincoln Drive housing area will be drastically different. 

"The new units will be a mixture of 4- and 6-plex structures," said Mr. Dower. "All of them will have two bedrooms and come furnished with a stove, refrigerator and dishwasher. Each will be nearly 1,600 square feet." 

According to construction drawings of the new housing, the 6-plex units will all be two story, two bedroom units. The end units of the 4-plexes will be single story, two bedroom handicapped-accessible units and the two center apartments will be two-story, two bedroom units. All of the housing on Lincoln Drive is earmarked for junior enlisted members through the rank of technical sergeant. 

Two hundred and six new units are on tap to be built and they will replace those built in the early 1950s.