Kaneohe Bay Commissary to receive major upgrade

FORT LEE, Va. – A construction contract for upgrade of the commissary at Marine Corps Hawaii Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, was awarded Sept. 28 to Nelson Refrigeration Inc.

The renovation of the commissary, built in 1993, will increase the store’s operational efficiency and enhance the customers’ overall shopping experience by accomplishing the following upgrades:

• Replace the store’s HVAC equipment

• Modernize the sales area with new refrigerated product display cases and new interior finishes such as a finished floor, ceiling tiles, LED lights and décor

• Expand the seafood area and reconfigure the deli-bakery and sushi areas

• Renovate the administrative office to enhance security by adding controlled access

• Update the customer restrooms with new partitions and fixtures

• Enhance the store exterior with partial replacement of outside doors, clean the facades and add new exterior signage

Approximate cost of the project, including construction equipment and contract administration is $19.87 million. Construction is expected to begin by March 2023 and scheduled to be completed by December 2024.

“Our goal, as always, is to be our customers’ grocer of choice,” said Carl Rawls, store director. “We are always working to improve the commissary benefit for the Kaneohe Bay community, and these upgrades help us do that.”

Construction costs for new and existing commissaries is funded through a congressionally mandated 5 percent surcharge, which is added to each commissary shopper’s bill.

Surveys consistently rate commissaries as one of the military’s top non-pay benefits. Many young service families, particularly those stationed in high cost-of-living urban areas, simply could not make ends meet without the 25 percent or more price savings provided by commissaries, against the local marketplace. Customers receive substantial additional savings through promotions and special sales.

The commissary value proposition goes beyond significant savings to include clean and safe stores, healthy options and excellent customer service. This important benefit reinforces DOD’s efforts to improve the economic security of the Force and provides a strategic “insurance policy” for military families during times of national emergency – pandemics, hurricanes, earthquakes and more. The commissary system ensures food security for military families in all situations they may face.

-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.