Commissary renovations have begun

Shoppers at Europe’s largest commissary here are starting to see the effects of a $49 million total renovation project to expand the existing facility from about 81,100 to more than 106,000 square feet.

The project, being overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District, looks to upgrade the chilled and frozen foods displays, add a new deli and bakery, install more electronic checkout registers and improve the produce department.

After renovations, the building will house new energy-saving lighting, air conditioning, wider aisles and new shelving. Outside the commissary, new sidewalks; landscaping, including the replacement of trees; and parking, totaling 453 spaces, will complete the transformation.

Leslie Brown, a spokeswoman with the Defense Commissary Agency, said the renovations are needed to meet the growing needs of the community.

Mrs. Brown said the commissary was originally designed to handle approximately $13 million in sales a year. In 2010, transactions totaled more than $60 million.

“Except for the refrigeration systems, there have not been any major renovations since the store opened in 1983,” Mrs. Brown  said.  “This is an extensive project with many phases, but the commissary needed these renovations to better serve the military community here.”

A project of this size will not be completed without some growing pains.

Lt. Col. Rick Rieger, a program manager with the district, said renovations will take place in four main phases with some sub-phases.  

Soon, construction of the east parking and north building extension will begin. As the project progresses, the commissary will look more like a typical construction site with heavy equipment and workers, Colonel Rieger said.

When the project is complete in about 23 months, the more than 25,000 additional square feet will yield more than 17,000 square feet of new sales area. But the increase in sales area will come with some temporary challenges, including a decrease in customer parking.

Prior to the start of the renovations there were 361 spaces. During the project, the number will decrease to 243, Mrs. Brown said.

“To free up more spaces, the employee parking has been relocated to the former base exchange,” she said. “We have also added signage to direct customers to the additional parking area.”

Though Mrs. Brown said the store will remain open and item selection should not change, the layout will. 

“The biggest issues customers are expected to face during the renovations will be that some items might be a little harder to locate in the store as we rearrange shelving,” Mrs. Brown said. “But customers can always ask a store associate for assistance in locating their favorite products.”

Senior Master Sgt. Garfield Harris, a member of the 86th Security Forces Squadron and a frequent shopper at the commissary, said he has some concerns about the renovations.

 “I know the renovations might mean longer checkout lines, less parking and I have to start at the bottom of the learning curve to find things,” Sergeant Harris said. “But in the end, the renovations are good for the community and so the end will justify the means.”

About half-way through the project, when roofing and ceiling work is underway, a temporary structure will be put in place to ensure shoppers are safe and can continue to shop. Customers need to remain aware that they are on an active construction site and remember safety is the key, Colonel Rieger said.

Lawrence Mann, the district logistics supervisor with Department of Defense Dependents School, Kaiserslautern District, said that to ensure the safety of the students in the vicinity, Ramstein Intermediate School will add 10 drop off spots and the elementary school will add 15.

The school bus loading and unloading zones are not impacted by the commissary construction Mr. Mann said. Bus operations will continue as normal.

DeCA and corps officials said renovations may disrupt shopping at times, but there are things customers can do to help. Sharing rides to the commissary, shopping at non-peak hours, buying in bulk, and using the commissaries at Vogelweh and Sembach will ease the disruption.

“I don’t mind the pain of the renovation,” Sergeant Harris said. “In the end, it’s good for the community and the means will justify the pain.”