|
MassDevelopment In The News
Base Hit
July 11, 2005: Banker and Tradesman, Editorial
The timing of the recent progress on approving the plan for the South Weymouth Naval Air Station is, of course, somewhat ironic given the convergence in Boston last week of officials from across New England concerned about a whole new wave of proposed military base closures.
While the Hanscom, Natick and Westover military facilities would see increased use, plans to scuttle an Air Force fighter wing at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod would cost the state some 500 jobs and could indirectly force the base to close. Testifying before the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, state officials argued that the proposed realignment might leave the Coast Guard, which shares an airfield with the Air Force at the base, without the resources to continue operations alone. They also questioned the data used in targeting the base for realignment and said without the fighter wing, which was the first to respond during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Boston and a huge swath of New England would be virtually unprotected.
While the arguments against realignment at Otis are compelling, there is no way at present to predict the final outcome. The plan is but a small part of U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's recommendation to close 33 of the nation's 318 major military bases and consolidate operations at 29 others.
With the future of one local military base in jeopardy and another former base inching slowly toward a reuse plan after years of trials and travails, it is worth noting that another former base in the Bay State has successfully made the transition to civilian life after being slated for closure in 1991. MassDevelopment recently received the 2005 Community of the Year Award from NAID, an Association of Defense Communities for active and closed bases, for its redevelopment of Fort Devens, which has been transformed into a thriving, mixed-use home to 78 companies with 3,100 employees. The development is an achievement that, especially now, should hearten not only the three Devens host communities but others that may face similar challenges.
© Copyright 2005 Banker and Tradesman.
|
|
