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U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz broke ground on a new Army Lodge, Nov. 3.
“This groundbreaking is a victory for the Baumholder Military Community,” said Col. Reid Furman, USAG Rheinland-Pfalz commander. “It is a victory for all those who have fought to maintain and promote this unique military community.
“Baumholder is a special place. Its military roots go back to World War II, and those roots now represent the enduring partnership between the German and the U.S. Forces here,” he added.
The Baumholder Army Lodging project was introduced in 2021, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, Installation Management Command-Europe Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, and the Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauwesen agreed on a joint mission to construct a new, state-of-the-art Army Lodge to meet the growing demands of the Baumholder military local community.
“The location of this new Army Lodge is no accident,” said Furman. “It will proudly stand here, on the site of the ‘Iron Soldier Park,’ across from the iconic Rheinlander, and just a stone’s throw away from the historic Lagerhof Inn.”
Since 2011, over 112,000 service members, families, and temporary duty travelers have been accommodated by the Lagerhof Inn.
For the new Army Lodge, this is the first major new construction project to be awarded under a new partnership agreement with accelerated procedures negotiated between U.S. Forces and the BMWSB in Bonn.
The project’s accelerated procedures have been adopted as a model for other German states to follow. The efficient design process and the timely support from the Idar-Oberstein Bauamt were key in making sure that all required documents were reviewed and coordinated in an expedited manner.
“The excellent design outcome resulted in fewer technical questions during bidding, which led to the overall project costs being nearly $10 million under the original estimates,” said Dr. Jeff Jackson, Chief, NAF Construction for IMCOM-E, G9. “The support from BMWSB, Amt fur Bundesbau and the Idar-Oberstein Bauamt facilitating the accelerated process, supporting U.S. Forces and promoting Baumholder community growth, is a testament to the longstanding partnership between Germany and the United States.”
“The Baumholder community is very pleased about this groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new Lagerhof hotel,” said Günther Jung, Bürgermeister der Stadt Baumholder (mayor of the City of Baumholder). “The Rheinlander Park is a wonderful area for this new project, and I wish you the best going forward in this construction.”
The new lodge will nearly double the existing lodging capacity, and will feature more than 75 modern rooms, including 50 family suites, and 20 extended-stay rooms, recreational facilities for families with children, modern amenities, and a fitness center. The overall project investment is over $38 million Euros, with a targeted completion date set for October 2026 and an anticipated occupancy rate of over 24,000 guests annually.
”This project is part of a larger program meant to deliver on the Army’s quality of life promises, and to help ensure that Baumholder is seen as a premier assignment for Soldiers and their families stationed overseas,” said Roger Vogler, chief of the Engineering and Construction Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“As we break ground today, we are reminded of Army Lodging’s commitment to support our garrison, by providing Soldiers, Civilians, and families with a warm welcome and secure, comfortable place to stay when away from home,” Furman said. “The construction of a new Army Lodge here in Baumholder is a visible investment into this incredible Army community.”
