Politics & Government

Air Base Reuse Next Phase to Advance This Year

An HLRA official said he expects movement this year on the redevelopment process for Willow Grove air base.

Original reporting by Theresa Katalinas

Saying professionals are “trudging through the process,” the executive director of a local board tasked with leading the redevelopment of Willow Grove air base said the next phase of the massive redevelopment could begin by year’s end.

During a report to the Horsham Land Redevelopment Authority on Wednesday afternoon, Executive Director Mike McGee said Matrix Design Group, the consultant the board hired in January, is on track to submit the HLRA’s economic development conveyance application to the federal government by year’s end.

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“They tell us that they are still on schedule,” McGee said, adding that the firm has much to do in the way of market analyses, studies of traffic, water and sewer, stormwater management and more.

McGee said he expects a report “pretty much in final form” for the board’s consideration in November or December.

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Following the outcome of the various studies, Matrix will lead the board in devising a business plan and pro forma, which will be used in conjunction with the economic development conveyance application to the federal government.

Officials have said that the hope is for the HLRA to acquire the property and serve as master developer.

Matrix’s work will continue through land negotiations with the Navy.

Also ongoing, according to McGee, is the federal government’s environmental impact statement, which began last summer and is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete.

Other consultants are working on remedial sites, including the base’s former fire training area, McGee said. Additional wells are being added there to increase the site cleanup, he said.

Still to come are radiological surveys of the two on-site landfills, McGee said, adding that the hope is for that to be completed this year.

“They’ll be able to develop a plan for remediation or capping of the landfill,” McGee said.

“There is a lot of work being done,” McGee told the HLRA. “It’s just not the type of work that requires your action at this point.”


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