With the completion of the state-of-the-art Charles Luke Milam Bachelor Housing facility, the number of Sailors living in bachelor housing o base will almost double from approximately 500 to 1,000. 

In order to accommodate the recreational needs of these Sailors, Fleet Readiness programs is set to begin construction on a $450k renovation project to upgrade and improve Vibes, the single Sailor lounge located on the second floor of the Commons building.

The project will renovate Vibes into a staffed liberty center for active duty only. The new center will include two, 60 inch televisions, 11 gaming stations, music sound booth with instruments, new pool tables, game tables and a shuffle board table, as well as new computers with the addition of 12 new ones, all equipped with webcams and software for videoconferencing.

They also plan to relocate the Resource Center, including their selection of paperback books, magazines and the Chief of Naval Operation (CNO) reading selections, from Pierside Plaza to the area.

“With the opening of the new barracks and a majority of our customers moving off the ships and living up toward our facility, we saw a need to provide improved services and facilities,” said Marijo Umlor, manager of the deployed forces support program at Naval Station Everett. “We want to be able to provide them with a positive environment closer to their living area and our excited about the new features we are adding. The music sound booth will really open the doors for the Sailors with artistic talent and our new computers are going to be much faster and equipped with Web cams so Sailors can video conference with their friends and family.”

While construction is set to begin mid-May, Sailors can expect to see changes immediately.  Beginning May 1, the Resource Center will relocate to Vibes. In doing so, Vibes will become a staffed Liberty center, open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. 

A new temporary gaming area will also be added while construction of the permanent gaming area is underway. Computer and internet use, as well as video game check out will still be also be available at Pierside; however, hours will be reduced to 3 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday only. Hours for the Pierside Grille, laundry, television lounge and WiFi use will remain unaffected.

With the new barracks including in-room washers and dryers and the relocation of the Resource Center to Vibes, Pierside Plaza will also undergo a facelift of its own.

“By including in-room washers and dryers in the new barracks, we are anticipating a decline in demand for laundry services close to the ships,” Umlor said. “We will remove some of the washers and dryers to make room for more table seating for laptop use and eating … something we’ve needed for a long time,” she continued.

Vibes will be open to active duty Sailors only, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, 365 days a year. Pierside Grille, laundry and television lounge is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.