By U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe
(R-Maine)
At the beginning of the month, I had the profound privilege to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Brunswick Executive Airport at the site of the former Naval Air Station Brunswick. Indeed, the event was possible because of the unrivaled dedication of the staff at the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA), who have epitomized Maine’s legendary can-do spirit over the past six years – making fantastic leaps in ensuring the continued economic vitality of this region throughout the redevelopment process.
As bright as Naval Air Station Brunswick’s history has been, the future could not be brighter. This incredible aviation facility that was conveyed by the Navy to the MRRA under the Public Benefit Conveyance process will serve as a vital center for commercial and private transportation. While the conveyance of the airfield has proceeded seamlessly, we also look with optimism to the conveyance of the remainder of the property to MRRA. To help facilitate that transfer, I fought tooth and nail with MRRA to employ the template I was pleased to establish back when Loring Air Force Base was slated for closure in the early 1990s – to ensure that communities be given a fair and equitable chance at receiving land for free, or at a reasonable cost, enabling the urgent process of job creation and economic redevelopment on an expedited timetable.
So I couldn’t be more pleased that a compromise version of legislation I introduced along with Sen. Collins, Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, and others in March 2009 was incorporated in the 2010 Defense Authorization bill. This necessary measure represents a remarkable paradigm shift that will take the focus back to economic redevelopment by communities and away from maximum profit by the DoD. Not only that, but it also allows the Department of Defense to consider the “economic conditions of the local affected community and the estimated costs to redevelop the property” when determining the fair market value – a huge victory that provides yet another tool that will undoubtedly help communities affected by the BRAC process across the nation.
In that same vein – when we learned the Navy planned to move the critical Instrument Landing System (ILS) from here to Texas, despite MRRA’s request that it be left behind, my colleagues and I successfully petitioned the Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus to leave the ILS right here in Brunswick and Topsham. Furthermore, after the winter we just experienced, is there any question how crucial it is to have a system in place that provides precision guidance to aircraft landing on these two runways during low ceilings due to fog, rain, and, yes, snow?
But it’s not just the facility that’s critical in attracting business. Just think about Kestrel Aircraft, a company that will utilize innovative composite technology to build aircraft here in midcoast Maine. In choosing this facility, Kestrel noted the acumen and tremendous skill of our legendary Maine workforce. And when so many across our state have lost their jobs through no fault of their own during these challenging economic times, the fact that the company plans to hire more than 300 new employees is profoundly welcome news to the greatest workers in the world – Maine workers!
The bottom line is, it is paramount that in everything we do, we focus like a laser on jumpstarting our economy and creating an environment conducive to job creation and growth. That’s why I fought for the extension of the Downeaster Rail line – a project that I have supported from day-one, to provide essential opportunities for additional investment into the region. And let me just say – something tells me that the MRRA will continue to move heaven and earth here in Maine to turn the transition of this line into a transformational moment for job retention and creation in the greater Brunswick-Topsham community.
Legendary American poet and graduate of Bowdoin, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, once wrote, “if you would hit the mark, you must aim a little above it.” The grand opening of Brunswick Executive Airport signals the desire of MRRA, the towns of Brunswick and Topsham, and Maine to strive for and reach the highest pinnacle in fulfilling the goals that this region set forth back in 2005.
