Hill Air Force Base has officially kicked off a construction project with a price tag big enough to make even seasoned contractors blink. On May 18, base officials broke ground on a roughly $1.24 billion East Campus expansion that will add depot-level maintenance facilities for the F‑35 fighter and the new T‑7A trainer.
The long-haul infrastructure phase focuses on utilities, roads and site work, all aimed at centralizing sustainment for the Ogden Air Logistics Complex. Base leaders are targeting full buildout by 2032, and the project is expected to generate hundreds of construction jobs for local contractors and tradespeople along the way.
What The East Campus Will Bring Online
The East Campus will include specialized hangars and shops for F‑35 and T‑7A maintenance, including composite repair, egress, and canopy facilities, according to KSL. The outlet reports that the first phase centers on utilities and site prep for eight planned buildings on the east side of the base near the golf course, with officials issuing a single-award task order to HHI Corporation to run the early construction push.
Federal Partners And A Fast-Track Build Strategy
The U.S. Air Force’s public affairs office says the East Campus will host five mission-critical facilities, including a T‑7A depot complex, an F‑35 maintenance hangar, and dedicated shops for composites, egress systems and canopies. That infrastructure will set the stage for a dozen follow-on military construction projects, according to Hill AFB. Brig. Gen. G. Hall Sebren, commander of the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, called the East Campus “a strategic investment” that secures long-term readiness for fifth-generation and trainer fleets.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Sacramento District says it is delivering the infrastructure package in partnership with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center and Hill’s 75th Civil Engineer Group, describing the effort as the first of eight planned military construction initiatives representing more than $1.2 billion in programmed investment, according to the USACE Sacramento District. The district also notes it is using a single-award task-order contract approach to break the work into smaller packages, speed delivery, and keep a tighter handle on cost and risk.
Officials say the East Campus will expand work for the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, a regional economic anchor that supports roughly 7,000 military, civilian, and contract workers, and will create jobs for architects, engineers, laborers, and local subcontractors, per KSL. Col. Robert McTighe of USACE framed the groundbreaking as a momentum-builder, telling KSL, “This is a good first step,” and stressing the importance of getting shovels in the ground to keep the program moving.
How The Project Could Reshape Hill’s Future
Base public affairs officials say the East Campus will become the only depot-capable location for T‑7 maintenance in the United States, a role that will require fresh training in composites and low-observable work as F‑35-related workloads grow, according to Hill AFB. With major construction phases over the coming years and a target completion around 2032, the project is poised to reshape how the Air Force sustains two of its newest airframes and how Hill AFB fits into the region’s economy.
