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| DEFENSE CONVERSION
Military base closures have impacted hundreds of communities around the country. These communities face a long, complex process of closure, reuse planning, implementation, and environmental cleanup. Since 1988, there have been four successive bipartisan Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commissions (BRAC) that recommended the closure of 352 major and minor military bases and installations and the realignment in operations and functions of 145 others. In the short term, a closure can severely affect a community's economy. Local officials must contend with critical problems, including the loss of an economic base and possibly the health effects of environmental contamination. For some communities, base closures are an enormous opportunity, however, to reuse a closed military facility successfully, local government officials must lead the community through a number of military base and reuse processes and laws. In addition the local government must work with the federal and state governments, other affected local governments, and neighboring communities. Federal Resources U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration Success Stories:Pease Air Force Base (NH): EDA infrastructure investments helped create the Pease International Tradeport. The Tradeport is now the host to over 155 tenants and over 6,800 jobs – all of which has generated over $280 million in private investment.Hunters Point Annex (CA): EDA reuse planning investment and causeway construction helped generate 1,150 new civilian jobs. Glenview Naval Air Station (IL): An EDA construction investment assisted with increase in 4,098 new civilian jobs. Williams Air Force Base (AZ): EDA supported infrastructure improvements and engineering investments helped provide an estimated 3,704 new civilian jobs. The base is now Williams Gateway Airport, an international aviation and aerospace center and foreign trade zone.U.S. Department of Defense Army Base Realignment and Closure Web Site U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Federal Facilities Restoration & Reuse Office, the mission of which is to build partnerships which provide faster, more effective, and less costly cleanup and reuse of Federal facilities. U.S. General Accounting Office Military Bases: Status of Prior Base Realignment and Closure Rounds (at GAO Website, click GAO Reports/Annual Indexes - Fiscal 1999/Search - title of report). Other Resources International City/County Management Association (ICMA) - The Military Base Reuse Consortium provides information about recent developments in base closure and reuse legislation and helps communities play a constructive role in improving the base reuse process. The Association of Defense Communities (ADC) - the Association of Defense Communities (ADC) has been the nation’s leading source for information on base redevelopment. Technology Transfer for Defense Conversion
Economic Development Administration and Defense Conversion EDA's Defense Adjustment Program is managed in close coordination with the Department of Defense's Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA). EDA helps communities impacted by closing military bases and/or reduced defense procurement to rebuild and diversify their economies away from defense dependency. In the process, communities move toward economic sustainability and, in many cases, experience greater prosperity under the new economy than under the previous defense-centered economy. When military bases are closed, the most significant opportunity for economic recovery generally involves using the facility for civilian purposes. EDA provides flexible discretionary funding to communities to implement base reuse plans. Most plans are dependent on the redevelopment of former military infrastructure systems to support new uses. Defense economic adjustment projects are critical to restructuring individual economies to retain or attract businesses and stem the severe job losses associated with downsizing defense dependent companies. Technical assistance, development of manufacturing and industrial clusters, technology transfer and international trade promotion through civilian-oriented business networks, promise near-term results in achieving stability and new sustainability for threatened businesses. Since 1992, EDA's Defense Adjustment Program has awarded over $500 million in grants to 105 communities that have undergone a major downsizing or closure of a military base. For FY 1999, 50 projects or 82% of EDA's $84.8 million Defense Adjustment appropriation supported construction of new or replacement infrastructure on closing military installations and Department of Energy sites. Fourteen projects involved the provision of technical assistance, 13 the development of strategies, and 1 a revolving loan fund. |   |
