The Navy Coastal Campus development project is showing progress as new buildings are changing the landscape on the southwest corner Silver Strand. As of May 15, five of the 44 planned structures are complete, providing a glimpse into what the new facility will look like. Seventeen more buildings are currently under construction. When complete, 3,300 Navy personnel will relocate from Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado to the new location at Silver Strand Training Complex South (SSTC-South). Plans for SSTC-South include construction, renovation and expansion of facilities to support logistics, equipment use, classroom and tactical skills instruction, administration and storage.
According to the Navy’s Installations Command Website , “The Coastal Campus initiative is critical to ensuring the readiness of NSW forces now and into the foreseeable future. Ongoing combat operations following 9/11 resulted in a Congressionally-mandated increase of personnel, new missions, and the needed capabilities, equipment and training to carry them out.” The Record of Decision to move forward with this plan was signed June 12, 2015.
Capt. Scott Mulvehill, Commanding Officer of Naval Base Coronado said “Naval Base Coronado has worked with our partners and stakeholders to keep the Coastal Campus project on budget and on time. Building a new installation from the ground up is very rare and a challenging undertaking. I’m proud of the attention to detail my staff has shown in ensuring that present and future Special Warfare personnel have the facilities and training assets they deserve.”
A small number of Sailors have begun working in the new facilities. Sandy Duchac, spokeswoman for Naval Base Coronado said, “There were about 100 personnel at (SSTC-South) before Coastal Campus started and they are still working there. In the completed projects there are about 230 personnel who all were located at NAB/NASNI prior to moving. There are currently about 250 construction workers on site most days.”
The last project at Coastal Campus is scheduled to be funded in 2023 and is expected to be complete in 2025. For more information on Naval Base Coronado visit their website.
