Construction Bids Being Accepted for New Post Exchange in Moon

Construction bids are currently being accepted for the new $5 million Post Exchange (PX) in Moon Township.

Proposals from interested contractors are due by 2 p.m. July 26, according to an announcement from U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper Saint Clair.

“The progress being made on the new Moon Township PX and commissary is great news for the region’s veterans,” Murphy said in a statement. “I’ll be monitoring throughout the process to make sure the project stays on track.”

In June, Congress approved plans for a new 11,000-square-foot department store located next to the soon-to-be completed commissary grocery store at McGarity Army Reserve Center.

As part of the review, Murphy received a briefing about the new store from officials of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), a division of the Pentagon that will own and operate the new facility.

Similar to a department store, the Post Exchange will feature a barber shop, retail space, and a military clothing store.

An official groundbreaking for the PX is scheduled for the fall with a grand opening following as soon as June 2014.

Taken together, the PX and commissary in Moon is expected to support a growing customer base from nearby military bases. Shoppers at the new store will include area veterans and enlisted soldiers and families from throughout western Pennsylvania, including the 316th Army Reserve, the 911th Airlift Wing, the 171st Air National Guard, and new Navy Reserve Operations and Support Center.

The store will replace an existing one in Collier Township located on the grounds of the Charles E. Kelly Support Facility, which is being closed as part of the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) process.

Closure of CE Kelly meant 168,000 eligible military personnel and veterans across Southwestern Pennsylvania would have lost access to the commissary, PX and military clothing sales store.

Murphy worked to include language in the commission report to delay a decision and secure the funding needed to build a new $6 million PX, as well as a $15 million replacement commissary in Moon.

Murphy also coordinated site-development responsibilities with the Pentagon and the local redevelopment authority after an out-of-state contractor's actions threatened to delay the commissary’s construction and lead to cost overruns. 

Join us on Facebook and Twitter.