Since the implementation of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act in 1988, nearly 100 military bases have been targeted for closure and reuse. A new General Accounting Office report found that base closures have saved the military about $16.7 billion, and are expected to generate more than $6 billion a year in future savings.
Many of those closed bases have already been converted to commercial uses, including a host of Air Force bases that find themselves home to aerospace companies.
An already-in-place infrastructure, such as runways, hangars and buildings, are obviously attractive to such companies such as Boeing, Northrup Grumman and Lockheed.
"It makes a lot of sense to build off of that advantage," said Tim Ford, deputy executive director of the National Association of Installation Development. "Most of these businesses build on what's already there."
KellyUSA, a business park outside of San Antonio, Texas, is an example of this fit. The former Air Force base now houses 62 companies and 12,500 employees. It has four distinct centers for aviation, office, logistical and light industrial needs, with 10 million square feet of space and a 2-mile runway.
Aerospace companies located at KellyUSA include Boeing, Lockheed Martin (soon to be Kelly Aviation Center), Pratt & Whitney, Chromalloy, Standard Aero and Dee Howard.
Cecil Field at Cecil Commerce Center in Jacksonville, Fla., is a closed military base redeveloped into a business/industrial center. Aerospace tenants include Northrop Grumman, Jet Turbine Services, Logistic Services International, Boeing and Naval Aviation Depot (NADEP). Boeing and NADEP are considering future expansion.
Regional Airports Provide Competition
Regional airports, such as those in Kansas City, Indianapolis or Nashville, provide an attractive alternative to these former military bases.
These airports, which often were originally built on the outskirts of the city in order to avoid the "aircraft noise" issue, almost always have available land (and often developed facilities) nearby, if not adjacent, to the airport itself.
Also capable of handling big jets, these regional airports are generally very active in attempting to attract businesses, and many have developed industrial and office parks convenient to companies that need to be close to the air operations.
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