Actus Lend Lease, which will build and renovate Air Force and Army homes on O'ahu, is looking for local subcontractors for more than $1.8 billion in military housing subcontracting work.

Actus set up a forum for potential subcontractors this morning at the Waikele Golf Club House but is also organizing another free forum on Nov. 17 because the company received twice as many responses as it expected.

"This session came as a direct result of our desire to partner with the local business community," Actus spokeswoman Bennette Misalucha Evangelista said. " ... As the agenda indicates, we want to get into the nuts and bolts of the bidding form, our administrative requirements and the meticulous internal process we go through in selecting our subcontractors."

Since the military began awarding massive Air Force, Navy and Army housing projects on O'ahu in 2003, Hawai'i subcontractors have been hoping for a piece of the work.

Actus, which won the right to develop projects at both Hickam Air Force Base and Schofield Barracks, has vowed to focus on local subcontractors.

"We would only approach Mainland contractors if the local subs are unavailable or incapable of delivering elements of work," said Steve Goraczkowski, Actus' regional director of construction for Hawai'i. "This is the very reason why we are having these forums. We want to raise the level of awareness, the level of competencies, so the majority of our work will go to small and local businesses."

Goraczkowski said Actus will need subcontractors from all of the major trades for things such as site work, building rough trades, building finish trades and specialty contracting for solar power and solar hot water systems.

The Hickam project includes 816 new homes and renovations to 564 homes, a housing office and community center, recreation center and swimming pool. Work began in May and is scheduled to be completed in late 2009.

The Army project involves $2.3 billion for the initial 10-year construction work and is considered the largest project of its kind in the military.

It involves more than 40 neighborhoods in six military installations on O'ahu: