COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE
22 January | February 2018
An Indiana military base closure turns
into a successful downtown.
an opportunity for local leaders, residents, busi-
ness owners, and developers to craft a new future
for the city.
Community Evolution
In 1991, the federal Base Realignment and Clo-
sure Commission determined the 2,500-acre Fort
Benjamin Harrison U.S. Army Base was no longer
needed to support the military's overall mission.
Following final approval from U.S. Congress to
close the base, the state of Indiana acquired 1,700
acres of Fort Harrison to create a new state park,
leaving 800 acres without a definitive purpose.
To ensure those 800 acres did not turn into an
overgrown eyesore, state, county, and city leaders cre-
ated the Fort Harrison Reuse Authority. Its mission
With every new year's federal budget comes the
threat of military base closures nationwide. Not
surprisingly, the U.S. Congress shot down the idea
in 2016. During an election year, elected officials
will not support a budget that could possibly place
constituents out of work and leave thousands of
acres of unused land.
A closed military base, however, does not neces-
sarily result in an economic death sentence. A base
closure can give local leaders a blank slate with
enough physical space to create exactly what their
community needs.
For example, Lawrence, Ind., needed a down-
town — a central community space that it lacked
during its nearly 170-year history. The base closure
of Fort Benjamin Harrison in Lawrence provided
by Marci A. Reddick