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Base Realignment and Closure was a program that began in the late 1990s to decommission military bases and redevelop them for other uses. The process involves removing personnel and equipment, assessing environmental risks, and cleaning up contamination. A redevelopment agency is formed to create a sustainable development plan, which may include low-cost housing and high-end communities. The military hands over the land to the development agency, and revenues from the development are applied to maintenance.
In the late 1990s Base Realignment and Closure, a standard for decommissioning military bases and retooling them for other uses, began to spread across the United States. Many areas that previously had a heavy cluster of military bases have been left with only a handful of bases, and the rest have been decommissioned to wait in political limbo. In some areas, proactive communities have been working with the military to redevelop the base for alternative uses, while other parts of the United States have abandoned decommissioned military bases awaiting attention.
Base Realignment and Closure was a program that began in recognition that the United States did not need such a large network of military bases. Many bases requiring major upgrades could simply be dismantled and put to civilian or other uses. The large standing army that existed during the Cold War could be scaled back, saving the federal government money and allowing the military to invest in more advanced technology.
When a base is decommissioned, a very specific process is followed. The first personnel and equipment are removed from the base so that an assessment of the area can be made, with particular attention to areas of potential environmental risk. Due to the widespread mishandling of a wide variety of toxic substances, most military bases are heavily contaminated and require years of environmental cleanup before they can be developed or handed over to another agency.
After the base is officially decommissioned, a redevelopment agency is formed, bringing together military and community members, who work together on a development plan for the base. Many communities have realized the development potential for brownfield foundations, many of which sit on prime real estate and could be a lucrative source of income. Especially in regions that relied on the military base for income, a decommissioned base can be a death knell, but the redevelopment potential can be revitalizing.
The military begins the environmental cleanup of the base, along with the removal of the facilities. In some cases the infrastructure may be left intact to encourage development, and in other cases parts of the base are opened up for civilian use. This is the case for Treasure Island in San Francisco, which has a small housing community located at the northern end of the decommissioned base. Other bases are completely closed until they can be cleared.
The redevelopment agency works with the military and the community to establish a sustainable development plan. Most of the basic brownfield developments include low-cost housing as well as high-end communities and place a value on open space and room for economic growth. Some decommissioned base developments use parts of the former base housing, with civilians living in the former staff quarters.
Once the base has been completely cleared and a development plan has been established, the military hands over the land to the development agency. Revenues from the development are applied to maintenance and the decommissioned base becomes a functional contribution to the community. Most regional areas are eager to help with base redevelopment, because the loss of base represents a substantial decline in the economy for the area that a development may be able to revitalize.
