Saturday, July 21, 2001

Base is gone, but that 'Kelly pride' lives on

AUSTIN - The recent closing of Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio was certainly a sad day for Texas. Kelly played a key role in the nation's defense since World War I and was the city's biggest employer.
   ''We showed the world what dedication, effort, hard work and, most of all, Kelly pride is all about,'' Brig. Gen. Robert M. Murdock, commander of the Air Logistics Center at Kelly, told employees at the closing ceremony. ''Kelly pride is our distinction, a theme for all our people.''
   But that Kelly pride didn't die with the closing of the base.
   Although Kelly officially closed July 13, officials have been transforming the base into a commercial enterprise since 1996, a year after the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission voted to close the 4,757-acre base.
   Now, some officials say that the closing of Kelly has become a blessing to the city's economy instead of a burden. But that took a lot of work and dedication by people who care about the future of the community.
   Kelly is an excellent case study for communities facing a base closing. Military communities would be wise to study the redevelopment efforts - especially since more base closings may be on tap.
   Kelly's experience shows that a community can band together, create a plan and even prosper from a base closing. Not every community has the assets of San Antonio, but every community has assets that make it unique.
   "It's not the end of the world,'' said Paul Roberson, who was involved in the effort to save Kelly and now heads the redevelopment efforts. ''If you pull together as a community and if you come up with a good plan, there is life after BRAC.''
   San Antonio could have easily accepted defeat when Kelly fell victim to BRAC in 1995. Instead, city leaders took charge and turned a negative situation into a potential economic boon for the area.
   Of course, no one in San Antonio wanted to see the military personnel transferred to other areas of the country. But city leaders developed a plan to combat those losses.
   In 1996, the San Antonio City Council formed the Greater Kelly Development Authority to try to attract businesses to the area, branding it KellyUSA, the Center for Global Business.
   Redevelopment officials tapped the base's assets to promote the new mission, including an 11,500-foot- long and 300-foot-wide runway, millions of square feet of warehousing space and access to NAFTA Interstates. Other benefits include aviation maintenance repair and overhaul facilities, Union Pacific rail access, and Gulf of Mexico access through the Port of Corpus Christi.
   Redevelopment officials also looked to available resources to assist their efforts, such as the $8 million from the state's Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant Program, established to help defense-dependent communities recover from base closures.
   Hard work pays dividends
   Kelly officials also embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign - and the hard work is paying off.
   Thirty-seven companies - and nearly 5,000 jobs - now call KellyUSA home, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, Ryder Logistics and General Electric. In mid-September, the first tenants will move into a new modern office building at the entrance to KellyUSA.
   ''We are optimistic about the future," said Roberson, executive director of the Greater Kelly Development Authority.
   Nevertheless, Roberson said redevelopment officials at Kelly face many challenges, including the renovation of old buildings. ''One of our major challenges is to get the money to do this,'' he said.
   Kelly's experience gives hope to others if the unthinkable happens.
   U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, applauded the redevelopment efforts when she spoke at the recent closing ceremony. She recalled the day in 1995 when she learned that Kelly was closing.
   ''I said, 'We were handed a lemon, now let's get out the recipe for lemonade.' You have made lemonade,'' Hutchison said.
   Ty Meighan is chief of the Scripps Howard Austin Bureau. He can be reached at 512-334-6640 or meighant@scripps.com
  
  

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Ty Meighan is chief of the Scripps Howard Austin Bureau. You can reach him by phone at (512) 334-6640 or by email at meighant@scripps.com.

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