10/27/2026
ICYMI - Partnership in Action: Team NAVFAC Southwest Delivers Megaproject at MCRD San Diego 🏗️💼
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NAVFAC Southwest Delivers Massive Mess Hall To Sustain the Warriors That Make Marines
Icari, Mario T Jr CIV USN NAVFAC SW SAN CA (USA)
Public Affairs Specialist
SAN DIEGO — NAVFAC Southwest joined Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego as they celebrated the milestone construction completion of its newest 100,427 Squarefoot recruit mess hall with a Ribbon Cutting ceremony for $92.6 million project, Oct. 16 in San Diego.
The MCRD San Diego Recruit Mess Hall project was delivered today through a coordinated effort between NAVFAC Southwest, MCRD San Diego Public Works, MCRD San Diego Food Services, MCAS Miramar and MCRD San Diego, design team from Michael Baker International and general contractor Balfour Beatty.
“Today we deliver the largest mess hall in the Department of War," said NAVFAC Southwest Commanding Officer CAPT Cathy Eyrich. “This doesn't happen alone. With early contractor involvement we brought together the owner, operators, designers and construction team to proactively identify risks, solve problems, and to deliver.”
MCRD San Diego’s mess hall is capable of serving up to 20,000 meals per day at peak demand. The facility includes 5 expansive mess deck dining areas, modern kitchen and scullery spaces, cold and dry storage, and administrative and employee support zones. The new facility is designed to support the operational needs of Marine recruits for the next 60 years.
“At the end of the day we are able to sustain the warriors who make Marines, because making Marines enables the Marine Corps to win this nation's battles," said MCRD San Diego Commanding General Brig. Gen. David Hyman. "What we celebrate is the senior drill instructor, those Marines who have answered the call, and this chow hall serving as the corner stone for them for generations to come.
The new mess hall incorporates 33,000 concrete masonry units and extensive utility systems, including 9,000 feet of underground plumbing piping and more than 25,400 feet of underground electrical conduit. In total, the project uses 421,000 feet of electrical wire, roughly equivalent to the distance from MCRD to Camp Pendleton and back. The facility also houses 840 lighting fixtures.
NAVFAC Southwest members of this project’s management team included Project Manager Bill Santos, Design Manager Ilia Voronchihin, Construction Manager LTJG Ethan Dean, Engineering Technician Ron Davis, and ROICC MCRD San Diego’s Director LT Dylan Christianson, SGE Juan Rodriguez, and Lead Construction Manager Fawwaz Al Dabbagh.
NAVFAC Southwest facilitates planning, design, construction, contracts, and environmental services in the Southwest region and in various locations within the INDOPACOM theater to include Southern Australia. The NAVFAC Southwest Area of Responsibility spans a six-state region covering California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico – supporting 19 installations across the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force and other federal agencies.
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