CHINLE, Ariz.—The new building for the Chinle Housing Management Office has been constructed and passersby will soon be able to tour the facility.

The 7,000 square foot building features various offices, a conference room, two bathrooms, an IT room, front reception receiving room, kitchenette, and most importantly, space. The Chinle HMO staff have been working under cramped conditions inside a housing unit that was reconfigured to serve as the office.

Norman Leslie, project superintendent for Benally Woodruff Construction, said the frozen ground has set the project back, including discrepancies with the survey for the elevation for the curb and gutter of the north parking lot.

“I don’t recommend proceeding with the curb and gutter subgrade because the ground is frozen,” he said.

Leslie said the interior was completed and that power was recently connected to the building. He said the subcontractor from Salt Lake City was going to fire up the HVAC units on the same day as the interview.

The project was constructed within the allotted 18-month timeframe but the winter weather and added work items related to American Disability Act disability standards caused a delay. The construction team is awaiting warm weather to pave the parking lot and road.

Benally Woodruff Construction will also be constructing the new NHA warehouse for the Dilcon Housing Management Office and Leslie anticipates starting in Feb., contingent once again on the weather conditions.

He said the crew that worked on the Chinle HMO was predominately Navajo, including the various subcontractors that were involved in the construction process.

"I've been very adamant about keeping our Navajo people working here."

“I’ve been very adamant about keeping our Navajo people working here,” he said. “There’s a lot of Navajos that did the work here and I’d like to give my hands up to them; it was done with teamwork.”

Leslie got into the construction business in 1982 and worked his way up the ladder over the years, constructing various projects in Phoenix, Yuma, and tribal nations such as the Pascua Yaqui, Hualapai Tribe, Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, Zuni Pueblo, Ute Indian Tribe, and others.

“I was just a kid back in those days and I was just trying to make ends meet. I worked my way up the channels and that’s how I’m still here,” he said.

The responsibilities of a superintendent are many and responsibilities are a heavy load to shoulder he said, adding that getting the job done right with quality work is the main focus.

“I don’t like to do shortcuts,” he said.

Once the HVAC system is successfully fired and operational, Leslie said his crew will finish the interior caulking and trim out procedures.

“There again, you cannot do your finish caulking and trim out in a cold room,” he said. “You have to be at a temperature of 70-degrees and rising to do nice, quality work.”

The crew at Benally Woodruff Construction are also building the new hotel in Shiprock currently, which will be a four-story structure with 180 to 200 rooms. They’ve also been selected to do the foundation for the hotel restaurant and the parking lot.

The company also constructed a new hotel in Shonto, Ariz., including the convenience store that is attached to the facility. As one of the on-call contractors for NHA, it goes without saying that the company is no stranger to providing quality work.

“The most important thing is safety,” Leslie said. “We all must be safety minded. When you work outside in the four-season weather, it’s an extremely hard thing to do.

“Take it from a person who knows; it’s hard to be in construction,” he added.

###