ABSTRACT
The conversion of former military bases to new civilian uses by a wide range of communities across the nation provides a broad experience in local economic adjustment to defense cutbacks. Former military facilities have been reused for a wide variety of private sector and public purposes. The adaptation of former military facilities has occurred on an individual facility-by-facility basis, usually with expanding branch plant operations at the former bases or with new small business firms seeking inexpensive facilities. The Grace Commission and the press have described the limitations imposed by Congress on normal military base closures. While impacted communities were upset by military base realignments announcements prior to 1976, the closure decisions were usually received as difficult news that was also certain and final. Only in one instance did the civilian base reuse followed a process similar to the conversion approach by identifying a totally new product for continued production at the former defense plant or base.
