New Legislation Could Spur Redevelopment of Horsham Navy Base

New legislation that just passed through the House Appropriations Committee would bring the former Willow Grove Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base much closer to actually being redeveloped, offering a significant economic boon to the area.

The legislation requires the Secretary of Defense to provide a timeline for precisely when the base will be ready for redevelopment, no more than 60 days after the Act goes into effect.

Committee members had been “concerned at the slow pace of progress” thus far in remediating the site and making it fit for redevelopment:

Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove.—The Committee understands that the Navy has completed its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the disposal and reuse of the former Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NAS JRB) Willow Grove Horsham, PA. The Committee further understands that the Navy is in the process of drafting the Findings of Suitability to Transfer as well as environmental remediation for site cleanup. The Committee is concerned by the slow pace of progress in remediating these properties. The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a report to the Committee identifying the remediation requirements as required by the BRAC process and an estimated timeline for completion for making NAS JRB Willow Grove suitable for redevelopment no later than 60 days after enactment of this Act.

The full text of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2016 is available online.