VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – Navy leadership, community partners, and guests gathered, Jan. 6, 2026, onboard Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (JEB LC‑FS) to break ground on a new state‑of‑the‑art Child Development Center (CDC), to be constructed near the installation’s landmark Rockwell Hall Gym. The ceremony marked the official start of a project aimed at strengthening family readiness, enhancing quality of life, and modernizing the Navy’s approach to delivering critical shore infrastructure. Once complete, the facility is slated to become the largest CDC in the Hampton Roads area.
Guest speakers included: Layton Construction Executive Vice President Eric Nay, Gensler Project Design Director Dan Robinson, NAVFAC Atlantic Commander Rear Adm. Jorge Cuadros, and JEB LC-FS Commanding Officer Capt. David Gray. Cmdr. Craig Culbertson, the installation’s Public Works Officer, served as master of ceremonies. During the event, Nay, Robinson, Cuadros, and Gray joined together for a ceremonial ground turning to formally mark the start of the project.
“With this project we are piloting a smarter, faster, and more affordable way of building for the future, setting a new standard for how we deliver the shore infrastructure our warfighters depend on,” Cuadros said. “Readiness of our naval forces doesn’t begin at the pier or on the flightline ... it begins at home. Providing safe, reliable, and high‑quality childcare is a cornerstone of a lethal and ready force.”
The new CDC, which will support up to 300 children, represents a major step forward in the Navy’s commitment to supporting service members and their families. Selected as a pilot effort for the use of Other Transactional Authority (OTA) through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the $52 million initiative is part of a broader push to accelerate the delivery of critical infrastructure. Designed by global architecture and planning firm Gensler and constructed by Layton Construction, the project uses a progressive design‑build approach and incorporates prefabricated, industrialized construction techniques to reduce timelines and improve quality. DIU awarded the agreement on Aug. 14, 2024. Design completion is scheduled for January 2026, with construction slated to begin in February 2026. Upon turnover, Layton Construction will continue supporting the Navy by maintaining key building systems to ensure long‑term reliability and performance. Final construction is expected to be completed in 2028.
The center will provide care for children from infancy through age five, offering developmentally appropriate programs that support early learning, social‑emotional development, and continuity for families navigating frequent military moves. Reliable, accessible childcare is a critical readiness enabler.
By reducing waitlists, minimizing off‑base travel, and providing consistent, accredited care, the new facility will help service members focus on their mission with confidence and peace of mind, particularly dual‑military families and single parents for whom childcare availability is essential to operational readiness.
“We want to make sure we are achieving the objectives of this project, not only the cost, schedule, and the quality in which we desire here, but more importantly, in the same outcome that we would want for our own children, in this development center ... it’s extremely important to us,” Nay said. “This will be a successful project, and we know this will be a very proud site. As the families start to utilize it ... taking it from dirt to a vision, to a successful outcome, it will be a really proud moment for the base.”
The 41,000‑square‑foot facility will include 25 child activity rooms, administrative areas, a kitchen, and mechanical space. The program will feature eight infant rooms, seven pre‑toddler rooms, six toddler rooms, and four preschool rooms, each grouped by age to support developmental needs. There will also be five age‑appropriate playgrounds, equipped with playsets, interactive stations, and tricycles that will be located adjacent to their corresponding activity areas.
“We wouldn’t be here without the collaboration between the Navy, the Defense Innovation Unit, and Navy subject matter experts to really deliver something that’s truly innovative, faster, better performing, and most of all, a first-class Child Development Center for our military families,” Robinson said. ‘One of the most important things for us as the designers for this project was to make it feel like a welcoming, safe, second home for the users of this building ... and bring the warmth for people as they come into the door, and also provide ample outdoor space and play space for children of different ages.”
The added capacity at the CDC will also ease pressure on the broader Hampton Roads childcare market, benefiting both military and civilian families, and reinforcing community partnerships. The project will serve as a model for future Navy infrastructure efforts, demonstrating how standardized design, innovative contracting methods, and industrialized construction can accelerate delivery and improve quality across the shore enterprise.
“We’re incredibly excited to see this project move forward. This new facility will make a tremendous difference for our installation by significantly reducing our childcare waitlist and providing reliable, high‑quality support to the many dedicated military families who call Hampton Roads home,” Gray said. “It also strengthens our connection with the surrounding community and reflects a shared commitment to supporting those who serve.”
Today’s groundbreaking marks the beginning of a project that will positively impact thousands of military families for years to come. The new center will provide stability, opportunity, and peace of mind for the youngest members of the military community and the parents who serve our nation every day. As construction progresses, NAVFAC remains committed to delivering modern, resilient infrastructure worthy of the men and women who defend our country, both at home and abroad.
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