Catellus Development Corporation Developer for the Base

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Re-Use-The-Base

The Horsham Land Redevelopment Authority (HLRA) has identified Catellus Development Corporation as the master developer for the redevelopment of the former Naval Air Station – Joint Reserve Base (NAS-JRB) Willow Grove.

The Horsham Land Redevelopment Authority (HLRA) Board directed its staff and counsel to begin negotiations with Catellus on an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement (ENA).  The ENA is the first step in establishing a master developer agreement (MDA) between the HLRA and Catellus by establishing a certain time frame for exclusive negotiations on the terms and conditions for a MDA and to identify key issues that must be addressed prior to successful redevelopment of the property. The ENA will also detail the assistance that Catellus will provide the HLRA in the upcoming negotiations with the U.S. Navy on the Economic Development Conveyance property transfer.

The HLRA Board identified Catellus after a detailed review of the proposals submitted by four development teams in late 2014.  In addition to the Catellus proposal, proposals were also received from The Hankin Group, Lennar/Toll Bros. and K. Hovnanian et al.   Each of the firms was considered highly qualified by the HLRA Board and all had experience in developing large parcels of property.  The Board interviewed representatives of each team and visited several examples of developed properties to determine which team best fit the Horsham project.

Catellus is a national leader in mixed-use redevelopment. With nearly 30 years of experience as a master developer, Catellus has transformed former airports, military bases and urban industrial sites into thriving retail, residential and commercial communities. Catellus’ past experience on similar projects include Prairie Glen Corporate Campus (Glenview, IL), Bayport/Alameda Landing (Alameda, CA) and Mueller (Austin, TX). 

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Economic Development Conveyance Application Submitted to the Navy

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Re-Use-The-Base

The Horsham Land Redevelopment Authority (HLRA) has taken the next step in the long process of acquiring the surplus property at the NAS-JRB Willow Grove. At its January 15, 2014 meeting, the HLRA Board voted to submit an Economic Development Conveyance (EDC) application to the U.S. Navy to acquire all 862 acres of the former base.

Obtaining property via an EDC conveyance is unique to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. The process was created by the U.S. Department of Defense to permit a recognized local reuse authority to acquire property at closed military bases for the purpose of creating employment opportunities in the local community to replace the jobs lost when the military function was closed or transferred. The HLRA is the recognized LRA for the closed NAS-JRB Willow Grove.

The property transfer process is neither simple nor quick, nor should it be. Taking on the challenges involved in redeveloping a former military base is a complex effort. Planning for the redevelopment of the base started in September 2010 when the Navy declared the base to be surplus. During 2011 and 2012, public meetings were held where the public provided input on the future of the former base. In March 2012 the NAS-JRB Redevelopment Plan was finalized. The Redevelopment Plan recommended that the entire property be obtained from the Navy through the EDC process.

The Navy will review the HLRA’s EDC application in detail and will likely have questions on its contents and assumptions. The HLRA is confident that the EDC application and its supporting documents provide a solid foundation for meaningful discussions and future negotiations with the Navy.

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Redevelopment Plan delivered to (HUD) and the Navy

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Re-Use-The-Base

The Horsham Township Authority for NAS-JRB Willow Grove (HLRA) has completed making final revisions to the Redevelopment Plan and Homeless Assistance Submission for NAS-JRB Willow Grove. Please use the links below to view the documents.

NAS-JRB Redevelopment Plan

The Redevelopment Plan is focused on the creation of job generating uses through a variety of mixed used including office parks, a hotel/conference center, low and moderate density residential areas and a Town Center. Possible amenities in the Town Center could include a movie theater, bowling alley, ice skating rink and other retail and restaurant options to serve the Horsham community. The Redevelopment Plan also provides for a school and recreation area, a historical aviation museum, family entertainment facilities and parks and open space.

NAS-JRB Willow Grove Redevelopment Plan

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Willow Grove Redevelopment Plan and Homeless Assistance

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Re-Use-The-Base

The Horsham Township Authority for NAS-JRB Willow Grove (HLRA) is seeking public comment on the draft Redevelopment Plan and Homeless Assistance Submission pertaining to the redevelopment of NAS-JRB Willow Grove. The draft Redevelopment Plan and Homeless Assistance Submission will be available for review in the Horsham Township Municipal Building lobby and on the HLRA website.

The NAS-JRB Willow Grove Redevelopment Plan and Homeless Assistance Submission is the result of 6 years’ worth of public meetings, discussions and research to determine the best way to redevelop the former NAS-JRB Willow Grove property.

The Redevelopment Plan is focused on the creation of job generating uses through a variety of mixed used including office parks, a hotel/conference center, low and moderate density residential areas and a Town Center. Possible amenities in the Town Center could include a movie theater, bowling alley, ice skating rink and other retail and restaurant options to serve the Horsham community. The Redevelopment Plan also provides for a school and recreation area, a historical aviation museum, family entertainment facilities and parks and open space.

The first draft of the NAS-JRB Willow Grove Redevelopment Plan and Homeless Assistance Submission as a complete document is presented below.

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Citizens Express Views on Future Development of the Base

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Re-Use-The-Base

More than 550 residents tried their hand at planning the future of NAS-JRB Willow Grove air base on Friday, June 10, 2011. The community came out in a mass Friday afternoon and evening during two separate but identical three-hour planning charrette held at the Horsham Township Community Center to voice their ideas and hear other options in devising potential options for the 892-acre parcel. After a presentation by RKG Associates, Inc. (HLRA’s planning consultant) reviewing the process thus far, the audience broke into groups to discuss topics of employment, open space and other possibilities. During the breakout sessions attendees were asked to work collaboratively in small groups to map out plans both with and without an airport.

The high attendance during both the afternoon and evening sessions and the quality of the ideas discussed continues to illustrate that residents believe that the reuse of NAS-JRB Willow Grove is critical to the future of the Township and the surrounding region.

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Definition of Charrette

Posted on May 25, 2011 by JoeHeffernan

Charrettes take place in many disciplines, including land use planning, or urban planning. In planning, the charrette has become a technique for consulting with all stakeholders. This type of charrette (sometimes called an enquiry by design) typically involves intense and possibly multi-day meetings, involving municipal officials, developers, and residents. A successful charrette promotes joint ownership of solutions and attempts to defuse typical confrontational attitudes between residents and developers. Charrettes tend to involve small groups, however the residents participating may not represent all the residents nor have the moral authority to represent them. Residents who do participate get early input into the planning process. For developers and municipal officials charrettes achieve community involvement, may satisfy consultation criteria, with the objective of avoiding costly legal battles. Other uses of the term “charrette” occur within an academic or professional setting, whereas urban planners invite the general public to their planning charrettes. Thus most people (unless they happen to be design students) encounter the term “charrette” in an urban-planning context. – copied from Wikipedia

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Ideas for the Base

Posted on May 20, 2011 by NAS

I would love to see a hospital or at the very least a decent medical center somewhere on the base.  The closest hospital to Horsham right now is Abington, and the drive there can take much longer than anyone would like if it’s rush hour.   I also love the idea of alternative energy and opening some roadways through the base to relieve some of the traffic issues along Horsham Road and 611.  Maybe several ideas could be combined.

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Acknowledge the Airport is an Asset

Posted on May 13, 2011 by NAS

It is in the community’s best interest to acknowledge the airport is an asset to the community.

Why?

Because if we all acknowledge the airport is the asset (which it clearly is), then whatever proposals are made to replace the airport must offer MORE BENEFIT to the community.

By claiming the airport is a THREAT, one can get away with saying almost ANYTHING would be better.

At the end of the day, if something better can be put there, it needs to be sold on its merits, not on the basis of deliberate misinformation.

The destroy-the-airport stand is short-changing the people in this area. It threatens to eliminate a valuable and unique resource. The more intelligent and honest approach would be to propose the alternative and sell people on the merits of what would be built instead of telling us how bad continuing to have an airport here might be.

For the most part, this isn’t happening. Why? Perhaps it is because many of the proposals may not actually benefit the entire community more than having an airport.

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Airstrip

Posted on May 12, 2011 by NAS

While I share everyones concern about air traffic in Horsham, the scare tactics I have seen on another website opposing the runway due to air crashes are not logical.  If I used the same logic and applied it to other forms of transportation I would have banned cars long ago due to the amount of accidents and rescues I have been witness to in our area.  I have a genuine concern which many have overlooked.

Other than ONE landing strip at Philly International, the strip in Horsham is the longest one in the area.  With the world in the state it is in, Philadelphia and our nuclear facility in Limerick are terrorist targets just like New York City.  In addition to the terrorist threat there is the threat from mother nature as well.  We have seen devestating quakes and tsunamis all over the world.  Our landing strip is 335 ft. above sea level while PHI is only 36 ft. above sea level.  Should we have a major flooding issue in Philly, the airport is useless due to the low level it sits.  The base/strip in Horsham is a currently built support system which is currently set up to handle any crisis in our area.  I believe we should move all Philly area based National Guard units onto the base, keep the landing strip as a Strategic Emergency and Limited Use Runway.  Corporate jets which were suggested by other persons do not make that much noise and do not take off around the clock.  A contract could contain the limited use language for the runway including which type of aircraft for civilian use and hours of flight into and out of the base runway.  This contract could also specify that NO jets be diverted from Philly International in an emergency as there are other airports in the area which these jets are currently supporting that function.

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Solar Power at the base no airplains

Posted on May 3, 2011 by NAS

We live to close to the runways and are in the crash zones as well as 3 of the Horsham schools! It is so nice and peaceful now with out the drone of airplanes warming up on the runway or circling. It is also nice not to see all the pollution (jet fuel) emitted from the landing planes or circling planes. The base is already a sewer pit of pollution lets do clean energy not add to the pollution by continuing with airplanes.
Horsham will not stay a nice place to live in with the whine of planes landing every 6 to 10 minutes and our property values will go down as well as our health!
We would like to see solar energy used for at least part of the base and sell the energy to PECO.

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