Hampton Roads Military Developments

[PeninsulaKiddo]

I believe ODU is on its way.

[rusthebuss]

Maybe ODU can expand its campus to that area as well. Maybe some sort of research center of some kind and such. I still think a indoor waterpark for all year around entertainment or skate park and even maybe a nascar track to piss of the NIMBYS.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

Maybe ODU can expand its campus to that area as well. Maybe some sort of research center of some kind and such. I still think a indoor waterpark for all year around entertainment or skate park and even maybe a nascar track to piss of the NIMBYS.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I just read this in the Daily Press: ODU applications are up 10 percent and transfers are up 13 percent from last year! It also talks about the booming campus etc. etc. Hopefully the DP Site will put this up there.

[okinawatyphoon]

Beach mayor proclaims Monday as "Support Oceana Day."

[rusthebuss]

Beach mayor proclaims Monday as "Support Oceana Day."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What kills me is she is part of the problem of them wanting to leave and now she is trying to save it. Thats like poisoning someone for years and then trying to find a cure after years of poisoning them. What did she think will come after the navy kept telling her and the city council to stop encroaching on the master air base.Its a little late after you piss the wrong people off! This is just good city management.

[hoobo]

So the Navy can't find a more cost-effective location for a Master Jet Base. Big surprise. It appears that training is not being adversely impacted at Oceana despite limited night-time flights. Also, that 17,000 may be a little exaggerated. NAS Oceana oversees Dam Neck, Fentress OLF, and the Chambers Air Field at Naval Base Norfolk. If Oceana leaves, only Fentress OLF would leave as well.

Oceana Update

[urbanvb]

Sounds like Oceana will be safe if at least for the moment. But I still don't understand why someone would complain about jet noise. I chose to move away from the base so I wouldn't have that issue. Maybe he needs to do the same.

[vdogg]

So the Navy can't find a more cost-effective location for a Master Jet Base.  Big surprise.  It appears that training is not being adversely impacted at Oceana despite limited night-time flights.  Also, that 17,000 may be a little exaggerated.  NAS Oceana oversees Dam Neck, Fentress OLF, and the Chambers Air Field at Naval Base Norfolk.  If Oceana leaves, only Fentress OLF would leave as well.

Oceana Update

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I really don't think it's gonna close this time around, but I think we need to work toward it's eventual closure in the future. I think 10 years is enough time for both sides to prepare for this inevitability and get a plan of action in place. We cannot depend on this base forever and our city has grown far too large for them to stay forever. Whichever side of the fence you sit on it appears that in the not so distant future the closing of Oceana may be the only appropriate thing to do.

[rusthebuss]

Well I've heard so many different things its ridiculous. Like i've heard 10k, 12k, 15k, and 17k. I think that if it left it would leave a small hole but a big opportunity for the city of VaBeach. I like the military but the giant dependency of it here has to slow down.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

Yeah, I really don't think it's gonna close this time around, but I think we need to work toward it's eventual closure in the future. I think 10 years is enough time for both sides to prepare for this inevitability and get a plan of action in place. We cannot depend on this base forever and our city has grown far too large for them to stay forever. Whichever side of the fence you sit on it appears that in the not so distant future the closing of Oceana may be the only appropriate thing to do.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree that it likely won't close this time, but in the event that it does, the city needs to get off its high horse and start working now or all that huge goldmine of an opportunity that the base's land provides will be worthless. I never thought I'd say this in my life, but I think VB should follow Hampton's example and begin working now towards usage of the base once it's gone. Even if it stays another decade, by then they'll have solid plans for converting and redeveloping the base. It'll be bittersweet to see it go, but it will happen some day.

[okinawatyphoon]

Navy's top admiral says Oceana has "robust future"

"Oceana Naval Air Station has "a robust future" as the Navy's east coast fighter hub if state and local officials follow through on promises to limit further residential and commercial development around the Virginia Beach base, the service's top admiral asserted today. "

"More than 10,000 civilians and service members work at the base, making it a major economic engine for the region."

BRAC "looked at alternatives and we studied other options. None of them made much sense," he said.

[urbanvb]

sounds great but....

BRAC Chairman Anthony J. Principi called Mullen's remarks "very, very important information," but said the commission will continue to study Oceana alternatives, including a revival of Cecil Field, a Navy air base in Florida that was closed in 1999.

"This is a serious issue because of the encroachment" on pilot training and other Oceana operations caused by development around the base, Principi said.

"Our commission is looking at other alternatives ... Whether there is one or not remains to be seen," Principi said.

[urbanvb]

I think it would be better to keep the base here. That would keep the economic engine going and also keep the diversity high in the area but in light of that I hope that as VB builds its DT and other areas it will work harder to land other good paying jobs for the city and region.

[rusthebuss]

I think it would be better to keep the base here. That would keep the economic engine going and also keep the diversity high in the area but in light of that I hope that as VB builds its DT and other areas it will work harder to land other good paying jobs for the city and region.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You really can't have both because one is butting heads with the other.

[urbanvb]

Military is only part of the problem. As another article was stating in the paper we have a large uneducated workforce that is willing to accept low paying jobs. We have a low of inequity in our school systems. I think the military and good paying jobs can be in the same area. For instance, San Diego seems to be doing quite well.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

Military is only part of the problem. As another article was stating in the paper we have a large uneducated workforce that is willing to accept low paying jobs. We have a low of inequity in our school systems. I think the military and good paying jobs can be in the same area. For instance, San Diego seems to be doing quite well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This might sound rather conceited, but it's a representation of how the military and government probably provide a lot of the high-paying jobs here... As a civilian working for the military, my mother makes probably 2-3 times the average pay of a Hampton Roads worker. Many of the new jobs cropping up in North Suffolk are government-related and pay from $50,000-100,000 annually. I'm glad that the military is here in such a large presence because it's kept our economy relatively stable through the 80s recession and the post-9/11 recession and helped to fuel the housing boom we've enjoyed over the past 4-5 years (despite the fact that now most enlisted and lower-officer ranked military are now priced out). I think a lot of people forget that... I think the jobs that have exploded into Suffolk are the ones we need to go after--government contract research. You can't lobby IBM to drop its beautiful HQ Building in a major city and expect them to move here. If and when a Fortune 500 (or hopefullay a F-100) company should move here, they will do it by themselves. We can't just expect that to suddenly alter the job market of Hampton Roads, though I, too, do believe it will help considerably. Education in our area is the key, and I think more internship programs would be helpful. My sister attends W+M's law school and when she applied for an internshp she got one in Washington DC... If the students of our area (and even state) colleges had more opportunities around here, then we could maintain the young and bright far better than we are now, IMO.

Also, bear in mind that the military provides a large boost to blue-collar jobs in any area it goes into. They have to find people to construct new buildings, to provide general services such as landscaping, and one of the largest boosts is to the hospitality sector. If foreign or other military brass comes to the area, they don't stay in the temp quarters on Langley (taking them as an example). They usually stay at the Radisson in downtown Hampton and that's frankly one of few things keeping it alive...

guynvb was right about our school systems... They could stand to see substantial improvement in Newport News, Hampton, Portsmouth, etc. Some of the buildings, physically, are many decades outdated. They use textbooks that are upwards of 20 years old and are now outdated as well. They have little supplies and teachers who, frankly, don't seem to give a crap about half the students. In two Newport News schools and a Hampton school in particular, there is a lot of racial tension which sufficeth to say provides a barrier to learning. The schools of our area, collectively, could stand to improve a bit... I appluad Norfolk for really rising to that challenge in recent years. They've made tremendous improvements and hopefully Newport News, etc. can improve.

[hoobo]

Military is only part of the problem. As another article was stating in the paper we have a large uneducated workforce that is willing to accept low paying jobs. We have a low of inequity in our school systems. I think the military and good paying jobs can be in the same area. For instance, San Diego seems to be doing quite well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

SD has great weather and a top-10 public university at UCSD. ODU is on par with SDSU. WM is on par with UCSD, but UCSD has 4 times the number of students and is a major research school especially in the biotech field. UCSD was the catalyst for SD's success because biotech companies flocked there to be next to the research. Virginia has decided to concentrate its biotech research at UVa. Since WM won't expand and is largely a liberal arts school, ODU needs to improve its academic rankings and aggressively pursue reaearch grants in engineering and biotech.

The area also needs to retain military research centers. Military bases are large parts of the economy, but its their research components that really help HR. Having Boeing in town to work on missile systems because of contracts with Langley or the Navy is a lot more useful than having another JB's open up across from Gate 5 at Little Creek.

[rusthebuss]

See you guys answered your own question. The military brings in alot of blue collar jobs which is pretty much a brain dead job, not really in my opinion, which doesn't pay very much. San Diego is no way nearly dependant on the military for their economy as we are. SD military brings a very small amount of money to the area compared to the private sector compared to us. I love the military too but as a resident that wants my area to grow to its potential we need a scale back of the military or the private sector to increase exponentially.

[okinawatyphoon]

Navy helicopter squadron will move from Sicily to Norfolk

[rusthebuss]

Warner fights for a new master base in Chesapeake or elsewhere in VA

[rusthebuss]

Texas governor offers to create Master Jet Base

06:30 PM EDT on Monday, August 8, 2005

Associated Press & WVEC.com

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- Gov. Rick Perry on Monday offered a $365 million incentive package to the Pentagon to create a Navy Master Jet Base in the South Texas Coastal Bend region.

The jet base is now at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach and is among those that the Base Closing and Realignment Commission has recommended for closure.

Oceana, with a military and civilian staff of nearly 17,000, is home to about 140 F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets and about 50 F-14 Tomcats.

Looks as if Oceana might close sooner than everyone thinks! Link

[urbanvb]

Texas is far away if they are looking to keep the planes close to the fleet in case of war, etc.

[rusthebuss]

So is Georgia but they where talking about that. I don't think they care about how far it is. Someone is out to get Oceana closed. I think all of those NIMBYs have sturred something up. At this point I think they will try anything right now and the feds don't do everything that makes since either!

[rusthebuss]

Save Oceana ads hit the airwaves

03:29 PM EDT on Monday, August 8, 2005

By Dottie Wikan, WVEC.com

Virginia Beach is taking to the airwaves to save NAS Oceana.

The city and the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce have produced two public service announcements that are currently running on Cox Cable as a public service and on Va. Beach municipal channels.

The first, called Oceana Graph, shows a jet flying across the sky from the lower left to upper right. Then the jet goes in reverse and disappears, signaling that as the jets go, so does the city and the region's economy.

The second, called Oceana Flatline, has the beeps of a heart monitor sounding as words go across the screen describing the economic impact of the master jet base. Then, the audio goes flatline as a lone jet with a single, flat trail of smoke, moves across the screen. The ad ends with the words, "Some say, without it, the financial health of Va. Beach could fail. Save Oceana."

Looks as if they are really worried about losing Oceana

[urbanvb]

Today's Pilot also had a full page ad about that. And they really should be worried about keeping Oceana. It is the city's largest employer.