Jacksonville dropping out of the running for Oceana jets

Virginia Business
December 2005

Virginia Beach’s bid to keep the jets and jobs at Oceana Naval Air station may be safer since it’s main competitor has dropped efforts to secure the base. Jacksonville, Fla., Mayor John Peyton says residents oppose the reopening of Cecil Field for the possible return of the jet base. Plus, some leaders balked at the possibility of spending $50 million in public money to buy out leases and relocate tenants that have moved to Cecil Field since its closure in 1999. “…The community does not want the master jet base to return, and I respect that,” Peyton said, when announcing the city’s decision.

But Virginia isn’t out of the woods yet. Virginia Beach city officials have until March 31 to meet demands from the federal Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission, which has threatened possible closure if concerns about encroachment aren’t met. The panel believes that the homes and businesses crowding around Oceana could jeopardize pilot training and safety. The base is near the oceanfront on a prime piece of land.

BRAC wants Virginia Beach to condemn, purchase and destroy 1,800 houses on the outskirts of the base, rezone undeveloped residential lots and prohibit construction in high-noise and crash-zone areas. The city and state have already agreed to split a $15 million price tag to buy a parcel on Laskin Road — twice the site’s assessed value — to halt an approved condominium project, a purchase that has drawn criticism from some residents. In fact, some developers are privately questioning whether keeping the base is the best long-term use of the prime land, located near Virginia Beach’s new $202 million convention center.

Ira Agricola, senior vice president of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce-Virginia Beach, says that because BRAC’s recommendations already have been approved by President Bush, the city has no choice but to forge ahead with its plans to meet the deadline. The lack of an alternative site for the jets provides the city with some political leverage, he adds. “It’s an ongoing saga. So stay tuned.”