MORRIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ariz. — Navy leaders from the Morris Air Nationwide Guard (ANG) Base in Tucson, Ariz., finalized a long-awaited take care of Pima County this month that may enable the bottom to just about double in acreage, increasing its footprint from 94 to nearly 179 acres.
The underlying intent of the $1.9 million buy is to order land required for a future army development (MILCON) munitions storage space (MSA) mission with a $22.3 million price ticket. The MSA will likely be positioned offsite of Morris however will allow for additional development on the bottom as soon as the MSA mission is full.
“This mission addresses vital security, safety and capability issues related to the present MSA,” mentioned Colonel Greg Hoffman, 162nd Mission Assist Group commander. “The present location inside to the bottom additionally impedes future improvement and limits development of latest base services or enhancements,” he mentioned.
The multi-party effort for the 162nd Wing’s MILCON MSA mission dates to 2017. The ANG’s 162nd Wing, positioned at Morris Air Nationwide Guard Base, collaborated with Pima County, Raytheon, and the Tucson Airport Authority (TAA) to plan the event of a buffer space to the south of Air Pressure Plant 44 (AFP44) that exceeds security arc necessities for weapons. APF44 is a producing facility positioned on property owned by the U.S. Air Pressure and operated below contract by Raytheon.
As a part of the collaboration, the Metropolis of Tucson acquired greater than 297 acres from TAA in 2020 and, as a part of that transaction, Pima County was deeded a portion of the parcel to carry with the intent to promote to the ANG for the longer term MSA. The ANG didn’t have appropriated funding for the acquisition on the time and wouldn’t have been capable of safe the federal funding with out this alliance.
With the 162nd Wing’s proximity and shared use of the runway, safety, and fireplace management with the Tucson Worldwide Airport (TIA) — which is operated by TAA — shared targets and a blossoming community-based partnership between the wing and the TAA has change into frequent for each entities lately. In 2021, for instance, the 162nd Wing and TAA partnered on a $350 million Finish-Round Taxiway mission (known as DBB1). DBB1 is the primary of three initiatives related to the Airfield Security Enhancement program at TIA.
One other pending partnership is a brand new entryway to the Morris Air Nationwide Guard Base. Two years in the past, a letter of intent was signed between a number of stakeholders after nearly seven years of negotiations. The highlights of the settlement embody: The ANG buying roughly 10 acres of land on the southeast nook of East Valencia Street and South Park Avenue to develop its new principal gate entrance; The ANG designing and establishing the brand new entrance, which will likely be off Park Avenue, at its personal expense.
TAA has already relocated a 35,000 square-foot hangar close to the airport’s air site visitors management tower on the west aspect of the airfield to be offered to the ANG. They are going to promote the airport property to ANG at appraised truthful market worth to incorporate the total alternative worth of the hangar and, with the proceeds, reimburse funds that had been expended to assemble the alternative hangar. Fiscal 12 months 2023 funding for each the land acquisition and development has been approved within the not too long ago signed Nationwide Protection Authorization Act.
