New BX grand opening on the horizon Published Aug. 19, 2008 By Senior Airman Shane Dunaway 36th Wing Public Affairs ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- A project a year and a half and roughly $46 million in the making is on the verge of completion. The new Base Exchange grand opening is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 10 at 9 a.m. The project is 95 percent complete, said David Parker, AAFES store manager. At this point, we are on schedule, but nothing is definite until the store is 100 percent complete. The new BX, located across the street from the Car Care Gas Station, provides a wide variety of services to meet Team Andersen Airmen's needs, including six restaurants, a computer repair shop, a hair salon and many more concession shops. The new BX also offers merchandise from local vendors. Future additions include a video game store and an indoor playground within the food court area. "For me, what I'm looking forward to is hopefully a bigger selection in terms of televisions, computers, small electronics and video games," said Master Sgt. Franklin Veal, 36th Medical Support Squadron noncommissioned officer-in-charge of medical materiel. "I'm looking forward to a bigger variety of eating establishments during lunchtime without having to travel all over the base or off-base. I'm looking for a one-stop shop type of facility." A wider array of facilities isn't the only plus the new BX brings to the table. Building a new BX nearly seven times bigger than the old BX also establishes new employment opportunities, which benefits the local community. "We currently have 55 additional temporary employees on the retail side of the house," Mr. Parker said. "The long-term requirements will be assessed with time and based on volume of sales. We anticipate approximately 50 to 70 additional positions to work food and concessionaires will determine their own requirements for the mall shops." The new BX hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on holidays.