New York- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, has awarded an approximately
156 million Danish Kroner contract (approximately $28 million) contract to contractor MT Højgaard
Gronland A/S of Søborg, Denmark, for the construction of a new Air Force dormitory at Thule Air Base
in Greenland.
The 54-person dormitory will be three stories and be designed with a special arctic foundation to
mitigate impacts to the permafrost common in the Arctic Circle where the base is located. It will replace
a 58-year-old facility that has seen wear from the harsh arctic climate. The new facility is intended to
help improve the morale, productivity and career satisfaction of Airmen assigned to the remote post.
“This new dormitory will help to provide Airmen with the quality of life they deserve on a difficult
assignment to Thule Air Base in the Arctic Circle,” said New York District Commander Col. John R.
Boulé. “The remoteness and harsh climate of Thule result in all personnel assigned there living on
base, which is why it’s so important to provide top notch housing facilities.”
Thule Air Base is the U.S. Armed Forces' northernmost installation, located 750 miles north of the
Arctic Circle. Among other missions, Thule Air Base is home to the 21st Space Wing's global network
of sensors providing missile warning, space surveillance and space control to North American
Aerospace Defense Command and Air Force Space Command.
Construction on the new dormitory is slated to begin in July 2012 and is slated to be completed in 2014.
About Us: New York District is responsible for the Corps of Engineers’ water resource development,
navigation, and regulatory activities in northeastern New Jersey, eastern and south-central New York
State, including the New York Harbor and Long Island, and parts of Vermont, Massachusetts, and
Connecticut. The District is also responsible for design and construction at Army and Air Force
installations in New Jersey, New York, Virginia and overseas in Greenland.