A fresh evergreen wreath with a festive red bow greeted the Brown Family as they opened the door for the first time to their new home on Olympic Street in the McClellan Place Neighborhood Dec. 21. This is the first new home built by Picerne Military Housing in McClellan Place and is one of 322 homes that will be constructed through early 2014.
The Brown Family celebrated Christmas in their new home instead of a hotel.
“We were beyond excited to be able to move into the home before Christmas,” said Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Brown. Brown and his wife, Melanie, and the couple’s daughters, Aija, 5, and A’leeya, 7 months, recently relocated to Fort Riley from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
“We have been in the hotel since early December. It will be nice to finally have space in this new house,” Melanie Brown said. “The home is really nice. Picerne did a great job.”
The Family said it is happy the home is within walking distance of Ware Elementary School, where Aija is in kindergarten.
Picerne Military Housing is adding a new subdivision in McClellan Place near Ware Elementary School. The homes in this new area of McClellan Place are designated for E1 to E5, E6 to E8 and O4-O5/WO4-WO5 Families. All homes will be three- or four-bedroom homes. There also will be three playgrounds or common areas included in this new area.
The new homes are the same style as the new homes in Forsyth and include eat-in kitchens, safe rooms, small yards maintained by Picerne, upstairs laundry rooms, storage space and garages.
“The first new home in McClellan Place represents a milestone for Fort Riley as Picerne transitions from Forsyth into our second master-planned community with similar amenities,” said Scott Kotwas, director of construction, Picerne Military Housing.
“With the neighborhood located close to the cantonment area on Custer Hill, Families have convenient access to work and play on Fort Riley, while receiving the same great services we provide.”
In addition to the new home construction, renovations of the three-, four- and five-bedroom townhomes in McClellan Place are still in progress and will move to Meade Loop in 2013. The extensive renovations include new lighting, plumbing, paint, flooring and bathrooms, as well as reconfiguring the master bedroom into a suite and adding a safe room.
“We took a 1970’s industrial-looking interior and made it compatible to current residential market standards. The interior is, basically, a brand new home. Instead of steel doors and plastic flooring and trim, we have added upgraded finishes for a softer and warmer feel,” said Kelly Karl, project manager, Picerne Military Housing. “Since these improvements are so dramatic, many Families being moved due to renovations are asking to stay in the neighborhood, instead of moving to a new construction home.”
Karl also explained that structural renovations and renovations “inside the walls” also were performed to improve the quality of these homes.
In addition to the renovations, the apartment-style buildings in McClellan Place are being torn down. The demolition of these buildings gives Families in the courtyards more privacy and open space between buildings. The renovations and demolitions in McClellan Place are on track for completion in early 2014.
Special to the Post
Michelle Geering | Picerne Military Housing
Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Brown, second from left, and his Family accept the keys to the first new home in McClellan Place Neighborhood from resident service specialist Amber Smiley, left. Picerne also provided a decorated Christmas tree to welcome the Family into their new home.
Search Articles :
News:
Sponsors
