May 03, 2005

FORT BELVOIR, VA. - Fort Belvoir and its families celebrate the grand opening of a new state-of-the-art community with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony today. Herryford Village is the first of 15 military neighborhoods to be redeveloped as part of the Army's Residential Communities Initiative (RCI), a progressive program created to improve the standard of housing for America's military men and women.

"A key part of our mission is the soldiers' well being and quality of life," said Geoffrey G. Prosch, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment. "With the RCI program, this installation is able to take excellent care of its families."

Clark Pinnacle Family Communities LLC is working in unison with Fort Belvoir and the Army to design, build, and operate military family housing communities at Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County, Va. More than $430 million has been raised to provide the military families of Fort Belvoir with the secure, attractive homes and the sense of community they would experience in civilian neighborhoods.

"This project expresses America's commitment to our servicemen and women," said U.S. Representative Jim Moran (D-Va.), a speaker at the event. "These new homes meet the needs of the modern military family and will serve as a model for base housing around the world."

Award-winning architect Torti Gallas and Partners designed the new two- and three-story homes in a traditional colonial style. The family housing, which has a minimum of three bedrooms, will average 1,850 square feet and offer a range of floor plans. Interior amenities include Corian countertops, modern appliances, nine-foot ceilings, and two-car garages.

"Today marks for me one of the proudest moments of my command here," said Colonel Thomas W. Williams, Fort Belvoir Garrison Commander. "We raise the curtain on what is a showcase of quality homes, at a flagship installation, the best homes possible, befitting America's best - our men and women in uniform and their families."

The neo-traditional community will offer pedestrian walkways, five community centers, an innovative community recreation center, numerous children's play areas, and a retail center with a book store, coffee shop, and day spa. The plans for the new community were created with input from military leaders, installation directorates, and the residents themselves.

"This is a big step up for all junior enlisted personnel," said Specialist Awilda Rodriguez, who will be moving into her own Herryford Village home today with her husband and three children. "Everyone wants to live in a place like this. It meets all our needs."

Since the commencement of the Ground Lease on December 1, 2003, construction activities have commenced in three neighborhoods and renovations are complete on one historically significant home. With 146 homes completed to date, the Fort Belvoir construction project is a full two months ahead of schedule.

"The homes are coming together beautifully, and that's a testament to all the hard work that our team has put in," said Chris Guidi, Clark Pinnacle Project Director.

The full development plan, which spans eight years, includes the demolition and replacement of 1,630 homes and the renovation of 170 historically significant homes on Fort Belvoir. When complete, Clark Pinnacle will manage a total of 2,070 Fort Belvoir homes for the Army during the next 50 years. Clark Pinnacle Family Communities LLC is a joint venture between Clark Realty Capital of Bethesda, Md., and Pinnacle of Seattle. Clark Realty Capital and affiliates will manage the design, development, construction, and asset management at Fort Belvoir. Property management services will be provided by Pinnacle.

In addition to the Fort Belvoir project, Clark Pinnacle is developing, building, renovating, and operating military family housing at Fort Benning in Georgia, at the Presidio of Monterey and Naval Postgraduate School in California, and at Fort Irwin, Moffett Federal Airfield, and Parks Reserve Forces Training Area also in California. Clark is developing and building military family housing for the Department of the Navy at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia and at the Naval Complex in San Diego. Clark Realty Capital has raised more than $3 billion in debt and equity for these developments. When these projects are complete, Clark Realty Builders will have constructed or renovated more than 18,000 military family homes.