Client: Merced County Redevelopment Agency

The County of Merced had formed the Merced County Redevelopment Agency but had not yet adopted a redevelopment project area. Keyser Marston assisted in evaluating several potential redevelopment project areas throughout the county. It was determined that the first priority was to adopt a redevelopment plan to facilitate the reuse of the former Castle Air Force base. The former base covers an area of 2,777 acres with over 200 buildings, a 12,000-foot long runway, and extensive infrastructure. The base was established in 1941, and over a 50-year period grew to serve a highly specialized function in national defense as a base for long-range bombardment, and bomber and air refueling crew training. Over that time, its personnel became a significant sector of the community, with 6,236 active duty military and civilian personnel in 1991, and its payroll a substantial part of the local economy. Congress selected Castle Air Force Base for closure in August 1991, and military activities were gradually scaled down until final decommissioning and closure in September 1995. The closure of CAFB resulted in substantial job loss. Between 5,200 and 7,300 military and civilian personnel were employed on the base and an additional 1,500 off-site jobs were directly attributed to CAFB. Keyser Marston prepared the primary evidentiary documents including the Preliminary Report and Report to City Council. The redevelopment plan adoption process was completed in eight months with plan adoption in March 2006.