Partnership provides off-base dorms for airmen

A partnership between Cannon Air Force Base and a civilian real estate developer, Sendero LLC, has established a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership in the entire Air Force to provide off-base dormitories for airmen at Cannon Air Force Base, solving a housing problem that has plagued the base.

"First and foremost (this) takes care of airmen at Cannon Air Force Base. There was overcrowding in the dorms there on base. And that's been a problem now, going on back to earlier this year and the end of last year," said the owner of Sendero LLC Brenner Campbell.

Campbell said construction of the complex started in early September of last year. He said this project is solving a colossal crisis by alleviating the pressure from the limited dorm space on the base, adding that taking care of the airmen will increase morale.

"Imagine if you're having to share a room meant for one person, now you're sharing it with somebody, and you've got conflicting schedules. Our airmen work 24/7. We've got shops that are open all day, every day, and people coming in and out of a room, it causes a lot of morale issues," Campbell said.

Now Campbell said airmen will live in the nicest facility available in the United States Air Force, right here in Clovis, which he hopes will increase retention.

Cannon's Public Affairs Chief Jaclyn Pienkowski said in February that Cannon's dorms were occupied at 104% capacity, meaning arriving airmen were indefinitely doubled up in rooms instead of the typical Air Force standard of one private room per individual.

Lt. Col. Michael Kittrell, 27th Special Operations Mission Support Group deputy commander, said Cannon's dorm shortage has always been a concern, but several factors amplified it.

"We've discovered that historically, Cannon has a higher density of young single, enlisted airmen. We can't expect them to easily find safe and affordable housing commensurate with their BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) as young junior airmen, especially in an already strained private housing market in remote and isolated installations like Cannon AFB. We needed an interim bridging solution for them," Kittrell said.

The Sendero project is being completed in phases. The ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday was for the now-completed phase 1, valued at over $650,000. The money comes from the U.S. Air Force budget, according to Pienkowski.

The complex will be leased by the U.S. Air Force for five years, costing the Air Force $2.8 million annually. The first 48 airmen have already moved into the complex, but when construction is finished early next year, there will be 200 total beds available.

"This is a huge financial savings for the Department of Defense, absolutely huge," Campbell said.

Campbell said the typical cost of building a dorm on a military installation could easily run $85-$100 million or more for around 190 beds. However, the public-private partnership allows the military to partner with civilian contractors, making it possible to lease 200 beds for under $3 million. "That's a no-brainer," Campbell said.

"The collaboration between private developers and the military is showing the American people that the DOD is not stuck in doing things the old way," Campbell said.

As for airman Madeline Duplantis, she is delighted with her new living space at the Sendero complex, moving from a shared one-room dorm on base to the apartment where she now has her own bedroom and her own bathroom.

Duplantis has been living at the complex for a couple of weeks.

"Yeah, it's a lot more private and it's really nice having my own bathroom," she said.

The Sendero apartment complex, located off Llano Estacado in Clovis, is for single airmen only and is fitted with an updated kitchen, furnished living room space, cable, and wifi.

Clovis Mayor Mike Morris said having a first-of-its-kind project like this in the city is exceptional and necessary.

"(We are) so proud of this developer, Mr. Campbell, and AFSOC (Air Force Special Operations Command) for innovating and so proud to see that happening right here. Clovis is very proud that Cannon is the premier power projection wing for AFSOC. So it's appropriate that we would be on the cutting edge of supporting the airmen and the mission at Cannon," Morris said.