By Justin Creech
Staff Writer
Thursday, March 15, 2012

Army & Air Force Exchange Service is constructing a new Fort Belvoir Post Exchange shopping center behind the current one.

The new Exchange, which is expected to open in April 2013, will be 270,000 square feet; will house every retail store on post, and offer new services to Fort Belvoir residents.

"The community deserves the convenience of having everything under one roof," said Rebecca Santee, Fort Belvoir AFFES, general manager.

Construction of the new Exchange is about 15-20 percent complete due to excess rain over the winter, according to Santee.

The Military Clothing and Sales, the Home and Garden Center and Gun Shop will all move from South Post to the new Exchange and the Customer Service Center will be in the front of the new Exchange as well.

A Popeyes Chicken and Starbucks will be new editions to the food court. There will also be a bigger parking lot.

"Whenever we open new stores we put our latest standards into that operation," Santee said. "We are looking at polished concrete floors, too."

The new Exchange will open once the old PX is cleared out and torn down. A new commissary will be built in the space the current PX is located.

"We will close down the old store one day and open up the new store the next day," said Santee. "When we move out of the old PX, that is where the new commissary is going to be constructed. Construction on new commissary will not begin until new Exchange has opened."

Current shops already at the PX will remain the same. The Barber Shop, Beauty Shop, Optical Shop, GNC and the stores in the food court will carry over to the new Exchange.

More job opportunities will be available to spouses, Family members and Department of Defense civilians at the new Exchange from custodial work to management positions.

People will also be hired to help move everything in the current PX and set up the new store.

"There will be more employment opportunities for sure," Santee said. "It comes with the bigger Exchange. We're going to have more square footage to cover and hopefully the sales will increase, so we're going to have more customers to help. Even prior to its opening, when we are setting the store up there's a lot of work that needs to be done before we open, so we go out to the community and hire temporary workers to help us set up the store."

Hours of operation will remain the same, so the store will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To apply for positions at the Exchange, go to applymyexchange.com.