Beale AFB land-use deal closer to reality

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WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  An undeveloped stretch of prairie at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., is one step closer to becoming the next premiere commercial development in the Air Force's enhanced-use lease portfolio.

Officials with the Air Force Real Property Agency will begin negotiations with representatives of Beale Community Partners, LLC, to develop 334 acres at the base. BPC's proposal was ranked as the most advantageous to the Air Force in a review of proposals submitted by developers interested in the project. 

Ms. Kathleen Ferguson, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, made the selection Mar 31 after representatives of AFRPA, the installation and Air Combat Command, along with attorneys from the secretary of the Air Force general counsel's office conducted an extensive review of the competing proposals.
 
In May 2008, agency officials solicited developer proposals for several possible uses for the land, including light industrial facilities, a wastewater treatment plant and a rail-accessible development. Final details and lease terms will be determined as part of the negotiations with BCP representatives. 

Ms. Ferguson said the Beale project shows the development potential the EUL program can offer our installations and local communities. 

"The EUL program creates endless opportunities for everyone involved in the project," she said. "This works because it provides huge benefits across the board. The community could gain an important wastewater treatment plant, while the Air Force maximizes the value of its real property assets." 

The enhanced-use lease program is a major part of AFRPA's mission to manage, acquire and dispose of Air Force real property worldwide. To date, the agency has more than 35 EUL projects in various stages of development at bases throughout the United States and its territories. 

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