Platinum Lifestyle Professionals Blogging Real Estate news and info on the Emerald Coast of Florida

October 12, 2010
Author: Ken Wright
Realtor RE/MAX Southern Realty
Vice President of Northwest Florida Military Officer’s Association
Phone: 850-582-6442
Email: kmwrightjr@embarqmail.com
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
The below is information compiled by the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County (http://www.florida-edc.org/is_okaloosa.htm), which will help illustrate the need for housing in Okaloosa County. As a native to this area, retired military officer, former Military Housing Director for the Southeast United States, and Vice President of the Northwest Florida Military Officer’s Association, I have the privilege of being a part of and have an understanding of the needs associated with the military regarding the movements of military units and the needs associated with the moves.
The basics of this challenge are a very high demand and low supply of quality housing for the movement of troops associated with this move. Factors which have placed a major strain on housing needs have been:
1) The financial crisis, which put builders and developers in a precarious situation to find finding for construction
2) The mass destruction of inadequate on-base housing
3) Defense Contractors moving to the area to follow the Defense Contract needs
4) The normal migration of folks to Florida.
It has not been underscored enough. The BRAC 2005 decision triggered a number of other initiatives to move several other military programs to our area and programs associated with the Aerospace Industry. As the past Chairman of the Economic Development Council noted, with the military missions in our area which include training, operational, and testing, we are primed to be the Silicone Valley of the East Coast. As you will read on, you will begin to see the recipe for a major economic up turn in our area.
The University of West Florida Haas Center for Business Research FACTOIDS (Florida Defense Industry Economic Impact Analysis in January 2008).
· About 35% of Northwest Florida regional output is driven by defense spending;
o 18% for NE Florida
o 5% for Central Florida
o 3% for South Florida.
· Average earnings per military job in Florida are at 175% of average earnings across all Florida jobs.
· In 2005, average military earnings per job were $68,540 compared to an average of $39,990 for all Florida jobs.
· In Okaloosa County defense-related spending accounts for 73% of economic activity.


INFORMATION ON THE SURROUNDING MILITARY INSTALLATIONS:
Eglin Air Force Base, the Air Armament Center (AAC), belongs to the Air Force Materiel Command and is responsible for development, acquisition, testing, deployment and sustainment of all air-delivered weapons. Eglin's range supports training activities for numerous operational military units, military schools, and various federal agencies. These training activities are conducted on an individual, group, or joint operations basis. Eglin AFB supports Army and Navy units. 62 major organizations resided at Eglin.
Eglin AFB occupies 463,128 acres across Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton Counties.
Eglin AFB, the largest military installation in the Department of Defense
· More than 724 square miles of land area
· More than 134,000 square miles of airspace
· More than 123,000 square miles of water ranges in the Gulf of Mexico
2009 Installation Statistics
Buildings 2,239
Buildings Square Feet 12,105,930
Main Base Acres 11,270
Complete Acreage 463,067
Active Duty Military 7,928
Civilians 5,435
Eglin's technically sophisticated facilities and its massive land-water test range complex make it an invaluable asset to the Air Force mission and to the economic development of Okaloosa's community.
In FY 07 Eglin AFB
Created 12,900 non-active duty military jobs in the local community
Had a $1.5B impact on the economic area
Had 15,125 military family members associated
Supported approximately 41,000 retired military members in the local area
Eglin AFB is a leader in Expeditionary Combat Support with the 2nd largest deployment tasking in the Air Force and the largest deployment commitment in the Air Force Materiel Command. Eglin has the Air Force’s largest transportation function in the Continental United States. Eglin also hosts the only Ground Combat Training capability in the Air Force Materiel Commend – 1 of 4 in the Air Force.
In addition to the military testing, training, development and research that Eglin specializes in, Eglin is also a successful environmental conservation steward for their undeveloped land reservation. Recreational activities are permitted on the reservation where the successes of their environmental care can be seen in plant and animal life.
BRAC ImpactAs a result of the 2005 BRAC Commission, the US Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) will move from Ft. Bragg, NC to Eglin AFB. The influx of personnel will be in 2011 with approximately 2,200 soldiers and 3,867 dependents. The location of the new Army post will be in the north county area South of Interstate 10, West of Duke Field.
Also coming in to Eglin AFB is the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Initial Training Center (ITC).
Arriving in 2010:
1) 59 aircraft
2) 1,563 personnel
3) 1,714 dependents will begin arriving in 2010.
Anticipated BRAC Realignment Impacts:(These figures may change)
· To occur between FY09 and FY15
· MILCON to exceed $735M
· 3,763 additional military personnel
· 87% Enlisted
· 12% Officers
· 1% Civilians
· 5,581 dependents
A total increase in population of 9,344 is expected by 2016.
Hurlburt Field is the headquarters of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), the Air Force component of U.S. Special Operations Command; and the 1st Special Operations Wing, AFSOC's oldest and largest unit. AFSOC's mission is to provide Air Force special operations forces for worldwide deployment in the conduct of the War on Terrorism in order to disrupt, defeat, and destroy terrorist networks that threaten the United States, its citizens, and interests worldwide. Responsibilities are to provide aerospace surface interface, agile combat support, combat aviation advisory operations, information warfare, personnel recovery and rescue operations, precision aerospace fires, psychological operations, specialized aerospace mobility and specialized refueling to unified commands.
Hurlburt Field is located in the southern portion of the Eglin reservation in Okaloosa County occupying 6,634 acres.

2008 Installation Statistics
Buildings 644
Buildings Square Feet 5.2 Million
Acreage 6,634
Active Duty 8,206
Active Duty Dependents 10,782
Civilians 1,316
BRAC ImpactAs a result of the 2005 BRAC Commission, Hurlburt Field relocated approximately 1,000 personnel to Cannon AFB.
For additional BRAC information visit the Defense Support Initiative page.
Duke Field is home to the 919th Special Operations Wing, the only special operations unit in the Air Force Reserve. The 919th SOW reports to the Air Force Reserve Command's Tenth Air Force in peacetime, and becomes part of AFSOC at Hurlburt Field if mobilized for conflict.
Duke Field is located within the northern section of Eglin's reservation and employs 1,200 reservists and 300 full-time civil service personnel.
Duke's total economic impact in the community is estimated at $51 million annually.
Okaloosa supports three military installations, Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, and Duke Field, collectively on the largest base in the world; Eglin Air Force Base. These three installations are known as the Eglin Complex.
The overall defense economic impact in Okaloosa County is over $6,000,000,000 annually!
The State of Florida's economic impact is $52 billion and is anticipated to exceed $59 billion by 2010.
MILITARY HOUSING IN THE AREA
In 2008, Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field engaged in their housing privatization initiative which will demolish 2,257 housing units with a planned rebuild of only 960. This demolishing of this housing has begun and will put an approximately 1297 military families into the community housing market.
CRESTVIEW INDUSTRIAL AIRPARK, A.K.A. BOB SIKES AIRPORT
This industrial airpark is the nucleolus for the Okaloosa-Crestview Enterprise Zone; created to facilitate economic revitalization.
Location:
360 acres in the Northern section of Okaloosa County, three miles Northeast of the City of Crestview, near Interstate 10. Bob Sikes Airport offers general aviation, private use and is located within an Enterprise Zone.

Site Size Available:
As needed. There are primes sites and large parcels available for development within the airport boundaries.

Environment:
Cleared area of 290 acres with an elevation range from 160-240 feet. Bob Sikes Airport offers a 8,000 foot runway, with a 2,000 foot planned expansion. The airpark offers complete airport facilities capable of handling large airliners, taxiways to and from surrounding properties, and adjacent land for aviation related companies.

Owner:
Okaloosa County

Current Tenants:
BAE Systems, Bay State Cable Ties, Copy Products Company, Custom Production, Inc., EJM Aerospace Services Inc., Emerald Coast Aviation, Gulf Coast Industrial Machine, Ideal Aviation, Inc., L-3 Communications/Crestview Aerospace, National Electronics Warranty (NEW), Prime Source Electrical & Manufacturing, Satellites Unlimited Inc., Summit Park, Sunshine Aero Industries, Inc.