Doubt and worry were prevalent sentiments in many communities when the U.S. government selected 97 military bases for closure between 1988 and 1995. However, time has told a different story.
And it’s a story with a good ending.
Today, many of these former military bases have new leases on life as bustling business centers. To be sure, it’s a slow process. It takes time to convert these mammoth sites and give them new corporate identities.
But thanks to public and private redevelopment efforts, many of these bases are now prime business areas, heralded for their location, vast land, facilities and infrastructure.
What follows are a few success stories that illustrate how visionary thinking has resulted in continued economic vitality and ultimately, advantages for growing companies.
The Former Kelly Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas, boasts one of the most vibrant military base reuse stories out there.
Closed in July 2001, the former Air Force base has since been renamed KellyUSA and is now home to 65 companies employing more than 12,600 people.
The land is currently being redeveloped under the direction of the Greater Kelly Development Authority (GKDA). The master plan is trans-
forming KellyUSA into a multi-use airport and rail-served business park.
About 11.8 million square feet of buildings have been transferred for redevelopment to the GKDA. Of that, 8.9 million square feet is available for leasing.
KellyUSA offers time-conscious companies build-to-suit opportunities, fiber optics and broadband infrastructure, and a number of other modern amenities.
Aerospace goliaths Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney are among the businesses that maintain a presence at KellyUSA.
General Dynamics, Standard Aero, AVCHEM and Parent Child Inc. joined the list of KellyUSA tenants in 2002.
The Former Norton Air Force Base, San Bernardino, Calif.
Officially closed in March 1994, this former Air Force base has evolved into the San Bernardino International Airport and Trade Center and operates under the joint authority of the Inland Valley Development Agency (IVDA) and the San Bernardino International Airport Authority (SBIAA).
The 2,100-acre property now includes a full-service airport, commercial and industrial properties, and the 18-hole Palm Meadows Golf Course.
The site proved lucrative for Wisconsin-based Kohl’s Corp., one of the nation’s fastest-growing retailers.
The company just completed a 651,880 square foot distribution center there, which will play a role in Kohl’s expansion into the Southwest. About 300 associates will be employed at the site, and another 600 associates could be hired during the next five years.
The Kohl’s facility marked the first major construction project since the base was turned over to the city. According to company officials, the site was selected because of the area’s stable and qualified work force, and the airport’s convenient location as a transportation hub.
While the former base offers outstanding access to air, highway and rail transportation methods, companies located there also benefit from its foreign trade zone status.
Dallas-based real estate developer Hillwood serves as the master developer of the San Bernardino International Airport and Trade Center.
The Former Cecil Field Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Fla.
Just 20 minutes from downtown Jacksonville, the 17,800-acre former naval air station is now a location for manufacturing, distribution and aviation-related industries.
The Cecil Commerce Center, officially turned over to the city of Jacksonville in 1999, is an intermodal site that has been dubbed a “city within a city.”
Cecil Commerce Center benefits from a strategic position offering proximity to the Interstate 75 and Interstate 95 corridors, the deepwater International Port of Jacksonville and the CSX rail line.
In early June, Brazil-based Embraer announced that Cecil Commerce Center was the selected site for the company’s forthcoming aircraft production facility in Jacksonville.
Cecil Commerce Center’s facilities and logistics were cited as major advantages, but said company officials were also drawn by the available skilled labor and cost of living in Jacksonville.
Embraer qualifies as a compliant U.S. government supplier for defense and homeland security programs. The company has sales operations in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., an engineering office in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in Nashville, Tenn.
The Former Williams Air Force Base, Mesa, Ariz.
The closing of Williams Air Force Base 1993 resulted in a loss of 3,800 jobs and $300 million to the local economy.
Thanks to a decisive plan of action for base reuse, however, the site is now the Williams Gateway Airport and the adjacent Williams Campus.
Williams Gateway Airport serves as a reliever airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and an aerospace center to accommodate general aviation, air cargo, commercial passenger service and aerospace manufacturing, maintenance and modification.
The Williams Campus is a partnership between Arizona State University East, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Embry-Riddle University, Mesa Community College and UND Aerospace.
The list of private tenants is growing at Williams Gateway Airport, with New Mexico-based U.S. Positioning coming aboard earlier this year. The aerospace research company develops global positioning software for
aviation and engineering.
U.S. Positioning Group recently won a contract from the U.S. Air Force to develop new control centers for unmanned aerial drones in Mesa.
In phase one of the contract, the group will use its cognitive engineering expertise to help design the centers’ structure, information displays, communications and information sharing to increase the effectiveness of the seven-member teams that will operate the centers.
Unmanned aerial vehicles played important roles in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and in the war on terrorism.
The Former George Air Force Base, Victorville, Calif.
The former George Air Force Base has come a long way since closing in December 1992.
Today it’s known as the Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) and frequently appears in Golden State headlines.
Why all the commotion?
The city of Victorville recently partnered with a master developer to bring to life an ambitious plan that calls for redeveloping the former base into an inland port to handle air cargo and rail freight currently running through Los Angeles.
The project could mean good news to local and incoming businesses that want market access via Southern California without the congestion of Los Angeles International Airport.
The project could also mean up to 17,500 new jobs by 2015 for the area. Presently, the site is home to about two-dozen businesses employing 2,000 people.
Located 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles, SCLA already boasts a Who’s Who list of tenants. Most recently, GE Aircraft Engines completed a jet engine testing hangar there.
The 5,000-acre multi-modal business complex features BNSF and Union Pacific rail service, industrial and office facilities, and a dedicated international cargo airport.
The park also features a host of incentives, including foreign trade zone and enterprise zone status, and a variety of tax and credits.
The Former Tooele Army Depot, Tooele, Utah
Thanks to its former life as an army depot, the Utah Industrial Depot has the foundation for companies looking to establish manufacturing operations. There is plenty of land, and existing industrial equipment and infrastructure, including access roads and rail service.
The area also offers access to an available work force, thanks to its proximity to Salt Lake City.
B&K Craftsman began leasing 3,800 square feet of space in January for office and storage, Baxter Cabinetry began leasing 6,480 square feet of space in February to manufacture wood products and All-Tech Electric began leasing 4,040 square feet of space in March for an office and warehouse.
While it’s clear that former bases are a prime fit for aerospace and aviation firms, these former military bases serve many other industries, as well.
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