HOUSING PRIVATIZATION, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FAMILY HOUSING PRIVATIZATION PROJECT, ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, GEORGIA -- PURPOSE: The Air Force is seeking feedback, concepts, and ideas from industry on a proposed housing privatization project for active members of the armed services and their families stationed at Robins Air Force Base, GA. Robins Air Force Base is located in middle Georgia, approximately 95 miles south of Atlanta. The Robins housing goal for this project is to provide safe, quality, affordable housing, supported by a quality education system in a community where military families would want to live. The project involves a real estate transaction with a private party under which the Air Force will contribute land and housing units by conveyance of fee ownership, and funds in the form of a loan, partial loan guarantee or investment. In exchange, the private party will obtain any commercial financing needed for the private party to plan, design, develop, demolish, construct, renovate, maintain, and manage a rental housing development for military members and their families for approximately 30 years. The private party will own the land and housing units, and the military members will pay rent directly to the private party. Robins would like to satisfy this portion of its military housing need through selected use of the wide range of authorities provided in the Military Housing Privatization Initiative included in the 1996 National Defense Authorization Act, Public Law 104-106 (codified in Title 10 United States Code, Sections 2871 -- 2885, or see http://www.acq.osd.mil/iai/hrso/legis.htm on the Internet), instead of the traditional military construction program. The Military Housing Privatization Initiative permits the construction and renovation of housing units using "market standards." PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project scope of up to 760 units includes replacing 370 housing units, revitalizing 300 housing units, and building up to 90 units to provide needed additional housing. It is currently planned that rent will be based on unit types that will meet the requirements of various income bands. Military ranks E-5 through E-9 (enlisted ranks) and O-1 through O-6 (officer ranks) are considered the most likely tenants to occupy this housing. Housing allowances for these ranks are the basis for determining the range of unit types provided and associated rent amounts. Military occupants will also use their housing allowances to pay for electricity and gas utility costs. It is the Air Force's preference that out-of-pocket costs (i.e. rent plus estimated utility costs minus the housing allowance) to the military member be zero. COMMENTS: This is one of the first expected uses of these new authorities by the Air Force; therefore, Robins Air Force Base is requesting comments on a wide range of issues. The objective of this privatization transaction is to: 1) provide a streamlined, non-FAR (not governed by existing rules of the Federal Acquisition Regulation), "best value" acquisition strategy that encourages maximum flexibility in proposal development and 2) select the proposal that best realizes the Robins housing goal and demonstrates the private party's commitment to a long-term relationship with Robins Air Force Base. The detailed Request for Information, including date, time, and place of an industry forum planned for July 9-10, 1997 can be found on the Internet (ref: http://contracting.robins.af.mil/houspriv.ssi). Future information regarding this project will also be published exclusively on the Internet. This is not a solicitation and is instead intended to serve as a means of exploring the potential application of these authorities to certain identified requirements for housing military personnel and their dependents assigned to Robins Air Force Base. Interested parties are urged to fax their comments to the following points of contact: Angela McKinley, Contracting Officer/PKOS, phone (912)926-5110, fax (912)926-3590, E-Mail: amckinle@pk.robins.af.mil; Melinda Hobday, Project Manager, phone (912)926-3533, ext 158, fax (912)926-7598; E-mail: mhobday@wrdiss1.robins.af.mil.

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