BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE (BRAC): EXAMINING THE TRANSFER OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE REAL ESTATE

Abstract

After decades of land reclamation, environmental cleanup, and caretaker functions related to unexpected long-term restoration and land management, the Government Accountability Office and other research branches estimated billions in unexpected costs, diminishing any anticipated Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) cost savings. Using the case study methodology, this study evaluated the circumstances of one such organization, the Naval Support Activity (NSA) New Orleans closures, including the Department of the Navy’s recommendation, the BRAC Commission’s approval, and the resulting impact on the community post transfer of the NSA to the city of New Orleans. The findings suggest that protracted transfers and delayed redevelopment of former Department of Defense real estate led to deteriorating infrastructures and blighted properties in communities. The results also underscored that the Economic Development Conveyance policy, which governed the transfer of real estate at below-market or no-cost to local Government under specified conditions, was incorrectly implemented following the 2005 round of BRAC, resulting in the transfer of real estate, infrastructure, and overhead costs from the DoD to local communities without meeting statutory requirements for definitive redevelopment plans as required by law or contracting oversight. These results are consistent with the House Armed Services Committee’s 2014 rejection of the Pentagon’s call for additional BRAC since 2015.