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$900M Lackland building project starts soon

The largest military construction project in the Air Force will begin in November at Lackland Air Force Base.

The $900 million project to build 13 new basic training facilities — eight airman training complexes and four dining-classroom facilities — will replace the existing 1,000-man recruit housing and training buildings scattered across the base.

The existing recruit buildings were built in the late 1960s and early 1970s to replace World War II-era open-bay barracks.

Construction of the 13 new facilities, which will be located on two new campuses, will be phased in over nine years. Work on the eastern campus will begin first, and officials estimate work on a new training complex will begin every 12 months.

Work on the second campus will begin in February 2013.

The new airman training complexes each will cost $75 million and accommodate 1,200 basic trainees. Each complex will have its own running track, drill pad and war skills area.

The dining-classroom facilities are estimated to cost $32 million each.

In addition to the campuses, a new, $20 million basic military training processing and information center also is in the works.