New AAFES complex nearing completion at Camp Stanley

Officials hope for a May opening of a $10.2 million Army and Air Force Exchange Service shopping complex at Camp Stanley, according to the U.S. Forces Korea newspaper Morning Calm.

Workers are completing the last few weeks of work on a store that will have 15,000 square feet of retail space, up from the current facility’s 4,000 square feet. Officials said the increased space will allow them to stock more women’s clothing.

About 15 more employees will be hired, according to the paper.

The store will serve 2nd Infantry Division soldiers in the Uijongbu area. Two small exchanges and eight shoppettes serve about 7,700 soldiers in the area at Camps Jackson, Kyle, Sears, Essayons, LaGuardia, Red Cloud, Kwangsari and Stanley.

Customers had to travel about an hour north to Camp Casey or 90 minutes south to Yongsan Garrison to shop at a large post exchange.

Construction on the new store started in November 2001 but was delayed about a year after heavy rains caused a retaining wall to lean. The wall was rebuilt by May 2003, and construction continued, according to the newspaper.

A food court area will include Burger King, Robin Hood, Baskin-Robbins and Anthony’s Pizza. The court includes a window looking out to the valley and mountains in the area.

Also planned is a military clothing store along with a tailor shop, a laundry and dry cleaning service, an engraving shop, shoe repair and a clothing and gift shop.

It’s expected AAFES will start moving in around April. Kitchen material and some interior supplies, such as plumbing fixtures, are coming from the United States. AAFES along with the Directorate of Public Works and architectural engineers will then do a final inspection.

“I think there have been people here patiently waiting,” Col. Ross Ridge, commander of division artillery, was quoted as saying. “They can now see the building take shape and see the food court going in, and they’re excited.”

The current post exchange will be turned into a renovated education center after the new exchange opens, officials said. Conference rooms all over the installation are currently used for college classes.

“Uijongbu has one of the largest class enrollments in all of the Korea,” Ridge said in an Army news release. “But we lack space.”

In turn, the old education center would be turned into a new post office. Camp Stanley then will have its own zip code, Ridge said, which should speed mail service.