There is no question that San Antonio is a military town. The Alamo City's economy has a symbiotic relationship with the military's evolving priorities. The city has been on the losing side of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommendations before with the closure of Kelly Air Force Base in 1995, but the 2005 Commission's recommendations have meant that San Antonio has come out a winner.
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) implementation promises to bring thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to the Alamo City. Construction projects are well underway, giving San Antonio a much-needed injection to it's economy while much of the nation was reeling from the economic downturn.
But with the infusion of money and jobs into the local economy come serious questions. Is the city's infrastructure prepared for the over ten thousand families that will relocate to San Antonio over the course of this process? And how will BRAC implementation benefit the neighborhoods, surrounding Fort Sam Houston and Brooke Army Medical Center?
On April 6, we hosted a KSTX Town Hall at St. Philip's College, and had a solutions-based conversation on how BRAC implementation truly impacts our city. TPR reporter Terry Gildea will moderated a panel of military representatives, city officials and community leaders to answer your questions on BRAC and it's community impact.
Panelists
Juan A. Garcia— President, Dignowity Hill Neighborhood Association, Member of the Fort Sam Houston Community Advisory Board Councilwoman Ivy R. Taylor — San Antonio City Council, District 2 Colonel Mary Garr — Garrison Commander, Ft. Sam Houston James Henderson — Deputy Director, Office of Military Affairs, City of San Antonio
2,200 construction workers are employed at various BRAC implementation projects at Ft. Sam Houton, Camp Bullis, Lackland and Randolph Brooks Air Force Bases. [Source: Army Corps of Engineers]
The construction industry was infused with $1.2 billion in 2008 and $700 million in 2009 for BRAC implementation projects [Source: San Antonio Business-Journal]
Military-related construction work currently represents two thirds of all commercial construction in San Antonio [Source: Association of General Contractors (AGC)]
The local construction industry employs 49,000 people, or 6 percent of the total workforce. [Source: Association of General Contractors (AGC)]
In 2008, the city registered a $2.4 billion economic boost from Fort Sam Houston work alone. Sales tax revenues were boosted by $44.7 million in 2008 from all the BRAC activity at Fort Sam. [Source: Military Transformation Task Force]
The total projected economic impact from the BRAC expansion (from 2005 to 2011) is estimated to be $8.3 billion. Afterward, expanded military base operation are expected to generate a $1.6 billion annual increase. [Source: Military Transformation Task Force]
Major BRAC Construction Projects
Fort Sam Houston
Medical Education and Training Campus
Includes 2 million square feet of dorms, classrooms, labs, training areas and dining facilities to accommodate an average daily student enrollment of more than 9,000.
Cost: $463 million
Brooke Army Medical Center Renovation
Improvements for handling in-patient hospital care and civilian trauma care.
Cost: $556 million
Facility for Biomedical Research and Education
133,000-square-foot facility will seek to enhance combat casualty care.
Cost: $92 million
Lackland Air Force Base
Wilford Hall Medical Center
Conversion of hospital into an ambulatory care clinic focused on outpatient care.
Cost: Contract not yet awarded.
Intelligence Operations Center
40,000-square-foot facility to support various telecommunications and computer security programs.
Cost: $10.2 million
Randolph Air Force Base
Administrative Center
36,000-square-foot facility for the integration of the Civilian Personnel Offices from five other bases across the country.
Cost: $9.6 million
Camp Bullis
Armed Forces Reserve Center
201,000-square-foot facility to support the realighnment of 23 Ary Reserve Units and four Texas Army National Guard Units.
