Coming soon: New parking lot at Kadena BX Published Jan. 13, 2010 By Staff Sgt. Kenya Shiloh 18th Wing Public Affairs KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Relief is on its way for Kadena Base Exchange customers frustrated by crowded parking lots at the shopping center. The 718th Civil Engineer Squadron is in the process of demolishing the old building to make room for the construction of more parking spaces. According to 1st Lt. Michael Nordin, a project manager with the 718th CES, the demolition began Jan. 12, and should be completed by March 15. The construction of the new parking lot should start March 15 with a scheduled completion date of June 15. "Currently the old BX parking lot has approximately 306 parking spots," said Lieutenant Nordin. "When the new parking lot is completed, there will be a total of 875 parking spots. This will give the new BX an additional 551 parking spots." The goal is to make the BX and commissary parking lots one massive one to better accommodate shoppers, said the lieutenant. The entire parking lot will be reconfigured to allow for ease of traffic flow and additional parking, added Robert Rice, Kadena BX store manager. "The parking lot will be a welcome change for all," he said. "However, during this transition time, we recommend customers use non-peak hours for guaranteed parking availability. The facility is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and we have found the best times to shop are before 11 a.m. and after 6 p.m." Updates on the construction of the new parking lot will be available at www.kadena.af.mil or in the Samurai Gate newspaper.