The Real Estate Division of the New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently relocated a U.S. military recruiting station from Hempstead to Carle Place on Long Island (Nassau County) an hour east of Manhattan. An official ribbon cutting was attended by Army Corps Realty Specialist Courtney McCathern along with the owner, and facility manager representing the U.S. Navy. The station will handle recruiting for the Army, Navy and Marines.
Real Estate Support
New York Real Estate Division’s Acquisition Branch supports a full range of services for U.S. Armed Forces recruiting stations in New York and New Jersey (before and after acquisition) such as locating space, managing renovations, negotiating leases, handling maintenance issues, lease payments and upgrades as requested by the U.S. Armed Services. In this case, the District received a request from the Army for a relocation, indicating the existing station in Hempstead was no longer viable. A formal request was submitted, accepted by the District and funded by the Services.
New York District Commander Col. Alexander Young stated: “The New York District is pleased to support the recruiting efforts of the U.S. Armed Forces ─ it’s one aspect of our support for the U.S. Military. We’re confident the new location will enhance recruiting efforts, maintaining a strong military protecting the Nation at home and abroad.”
Community Benefits
McCathern, who works with seven other Realty Specialists and visits stations twice a year for quality assurance, noted: “I believe this new station will benefit the community by giving visibility to our Services and provide opportunities for young people to enlist and make a career for themselves. It should boost recruitment efforts as Long Island’s north shore did not previously have a recruiting station. It’s an opportunity to reach a potential pool of applicants that might otherwise not be reachable.”
During a recent site visit, a number of improvements were apparent:
▶ Better Security: Cameras inside and outside the facility enabling recruiters to view all areas of the office, including the front entrance and parking lot.
▶ Additional Parking: Space for 120 vehicles in back of the shopping center and 30 in front ⎼ a great deal more than the previous location.
▶ Strategic Location: The only recruiting station on the north shore of Nassau County; more amenities for recruiters nearby.
▶ Water Quality: A bottle-filling station with filtered water so recruiters don’t have to purchase expensive bottled water.
New York’s Real Estate Division is excited about the new location ─ confident it will provide the Services more visibility than their previous station. The new location resides on a heavily-traveled main road near Roosevelt Field Mall – a major shopping center in close proximity to other businesses.
The Process
McCathern said the project took nearly 18 months to complete, including the following:
● The U.S. Army submitted a relocation request accepted by the Real Estate Division
● The Army, Navy and Marines submitted desired locations
● Real Estate searched for available lease space
● Services viewed potential sites
● McCathern reached out to potential lessors to gather information
● Locations were ranked and the most desirable selected.
McCathern manages 20 recruiting stations across Long Island. The new location required complete demolition of the interior ─ new walls, ceilings, floors, heating and ventilation and electrical upgrades providing a comfortable, modern workspace. Some 14 personnel occupy over 3,900 sq. ft. of space and each Service has a dedicated office.
Relocation Considerations
For relocations, there’s many considerations: proximity to public transportation; visibility; parking for potential recruits and government vehicles; foot traffic and walkability; neighboring businesses; and a lessor willing to work with the federal government – which involves more work, i.e., registering in SAM.gov, securing an architect, soliciting bids and ensuring the project is completed properly.
McCathern stated: “I cannot thank the two lessors I completed relocations with this year enough for all their hard work and effort on this front!”
Larger Mission
New York’s Real Estate Division manages 180+ military recruiting stations in New York and New Jersey with a staff of realty specialists, appraisers and fiscal and audit-control personnel working closely with federal, state and local agencies. Real Estate also promotes the federal government’s interests in environmental protection of real property, land use planning, cost-effective evaluation and action plans for project development in accordance with District goals.