Could Cecil Field reopen as a Navy Air Station?

[vicupstate]

Littlepage on Cecil reopening

I agree with Littlepage on this one, it seems like there has been a rush to judgement with no consideration for anything except the bragging rights for 12,000 jobs. Jax should be beyond the point of just seeking quantity over quality in the recruitment of jobs. I think Peyton has given up on the ability of Jax to attract clean-industry, high-wage jobs.

The Westside is just now starting to move beyond a strictly blue-collar, low-to-middle income reputation. Why reverse course now.

[vicupstate]

Chrysler/VW look at joint venture for new Minivan

It doesn't say if this new model will be built at a new or existing plant, but if it were a new plant, Cecil would be a logic potential location. This kind of opportunities will be precluded if Cecil returns to being a naval base.

[rusthebuss]

Oceana runs special ops that could save it. Also Pilots deem Oceana safer than Cecil.

[bobliocatt]

sounds like 1993 again?

[Viper]

Exactly like '93 again.

I've know SpecOps to move before because I know a few SEALS that have been through that.

I'm no pilot but his complaint is that at Cecil, you contend with two other FAA controlers. Doesn't Oceana also have airports nearby? How does that make one less safe for training.

When they discussed closing in '93, Cecil was considered better for actual military needs than Oceana but Oceana had a SpecOps they claim can't be moved.

Actually, we still can get that minivan plant because Cecil Commerce Center isn't being removed, just certain businesses that would be required to relocate.

There is 17,000 acres out there for development, more than plenty for a automotive plant that doesn't interfere with Cecil.

[bobliocatt]

Oceana will stay open ... for now

BRAC voted unanimously today to move the Navy's Master Jet Base from Oceana to Cecil Field, Fla., unless Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and the state quickly pass legislation and appropriate money to stop encroachment and reverse development within the highest accident-potential zones.

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story...=193554&tref=po

[asonj23]

Doesn't sound all bad. With Cecil now blossoming I'm sure the city can lure in more aerospace companies paying higher wages.

[Viper]

In truth, this has been one hell of a marketing ploy by Jax. We either landed Cecil again or we keep the commcerce center but with international exposure now.

[asonj23]

A Win Win situation!

[Captain Obvious]

This worked out very well for Jax. They had some stern language for Virginia. I'm assuming that the two abstaining votes came from the two Virginians?

"6 months to clean up your act or else" ... sure sounds like the chances for Cecil are reasonably high. Certainly higher than I would have previously assumed.

[bobliocatt]

It will be interesting to see what Virginia Beach's next move will be. They have 6 months to come up with a plan to displace hundreds of newly built businesses, possibly a regional shopping mall and 1,800 homes in the path of the runways. This looks like a lose-lose situation for the city.

To tell you the truth, if I was Virginia Beach, I'd help the Navy pack their bags for a move to Cecil. After all, Oceana would make a great international airport for the Hampton Roads area.

[vdogg]

It will be interesting to see what Virginia Beach's next move will be.  They have 6 months to come up with a plan to displace hundreds of newly built businesses, possibly a regional shopping mall and 1,800 homes in the path of the runways.  This looks like a lose-lose situation for the city. 

To tell you the truth, if I was Virginia Beach, I'd help the Navy pack their bags for a move to Cecil.  After all, Oceana would make a great international airport for the Hampton Roads area.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It seems that the tide is really turning against keeping Oceana. People are absolutely livid about the $345 million price tag that the BRAC is demanding (extorting) from us to keep the base. It seems that most in Va. Beach now feel it's time to let this base go. You guys may have your wish yet. I think in the end this will turn out to be win-win for both areas. I'm sure there are developers salivating over the Oceana land as we speak.

[vdogg]

Plus, if you think they are gonna displace one brick from Lynnhaven mall then I have news for you. Displacing that many people and businesses will have a harder impact on us than the base leaving ever could. I think that in the next few months you are gonna see a lot of handwringing and finally a conclusion that we need to let Oceana go. I also think that in the next year a lot of council members will be going as a result of this issue.

[jeafl]

2nd smallest NFL market with one of the largest stadium capacities.  Even larger cities have black out problems with smaller stadiums.

6 winning season, thank you, in 10 years.

Stadium upgrades were for the SuperBowl.  What are you talking about?  The Jags want the fairgrounds property? 

Because an $850 million annual impact is worth a few hundred million to start with.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

According to information the Jaguars provided Channel 47 in reply to an email I sent, the Jaguars have completed 10 seasons. Of these seasons only 5 resulted in more wins than losses and the team has been in the playoffs in only 4 of these seasons. And during these seasons the team has had over 20% of its games blacked out on local TV because the People of Jacksonville don

[rusthebuss]

According to information the Jaguars provided Channel 47 in reply to an email I sent, the Jaguars have completed 10 seasons.

[RiversideGator]

According to information the Jaguars provided Channel 47 in reply to an email I sent, the Jaguars have completed 10 seasons. Of these seasons only 5 resulted in more wins than losses and the team has been in the playoffs in only 4 of these seasons. And during these seasons the team has had over 20% of its games blacked out on local TV because the People of Jacksonville don

[RiversideGator]

Well we will swap Oceana for the team! We have a bigger MSA than you guys anyways.

No thanks. We'll take the jets and the team.

[Viper]

According to information the Jaguars provided Channel 47 in reply to an email I sent, the Jaguars have completed 10 seasons.  Of these seasons only 5 resulted in more wins than losses and the team has been in the playoffs in only 4 of these seasons.  And during these seasons the team has had over 20% of its games blacked out on local TV because the People of Jacksonville don

[VAGATOR]

To tell you the truth, if I was Virginia Beach, I'd help the Navy pack their bags for a move to Cecil.  After all, Oceana would make a great international airport for the Hampton Roads area.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is absolutely no chance Oceana is turned into an international airport. This is a major blow to region, especially Virginia Beach investments in their Town Center. However, Virginia Beach brought this situation on themselves, allow junk sprawl to suffocate the base. There is no way no the city and state can afford to buy up all the development now. Congrads to Jax on getting the Base.

[jeafl]

First, you have to compare our blackout rates to those of other teams.  I am confident we measure up better than most markets, especially given our large stadium in previous years.  The people of Jacksonville do care about the Jaguars (at least those who like football).  I find this negativity to be counter-productive.  The bottom line is the Jaguars are a positive force in the community, provide a common team for people to support and help to give us more credibility with outside business and investors.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In order for the NFL to allow Jacksonville to have a team we had to sell a certain number of season tickets (I think for 3 seasons). But, the required number of tickets were bought by companies like First Union and Winn Dixie because the general public would not buy them. The People of Jacksonville do not care about football.

[RiversideGator]

The People of Jacksonville do not care about football.

I love these broad conclusory statements. While it is clear that you do not care about football, it is far from proven that "the people of Jacksonville" do not care about football. Do you have some personal animosity against football or the Jaguars?

[jeafl]

Like I just said, large numbers of season tickets were bought by local companies during the first few seasons. My mother once had a co-worker whose husband and son went to almost every home game the first season or two. But, the man got the tickets from his employer. He mows lawns for a living and certainly could not afford the admission price on his own. Once those corporate tickets were gone and the People of Jacksonville had to buy tickets for themselves, attendance began to fall. So the People of Jacksonville do not care about football.

Wow, you truly have it out for the Jags, don't you?  You have absolutely no clue of the impact they've had, do you? 

I was off by year, pardon me.

The large number of blackouts has come during the past few years since the team was having losing records.  Before then, we didn't have blackouts at all, none.

Go to Google, look up "The most successful expansion team in NFL"  (use the quotation marks).  Even with the 2000-2003 losing seasons, overall team record is 82-78.  That figure alone is proof they are a winning football team.

Locals don't care, huh?

"The Jaguars are surprised to find that 40,000 raucous fans are waiting at 1 a.m. at ALLTEL Stadium to greet them upon their triumphant return from Denver."

Before the Jags, few knew Jacksonville even existed and the city wasn't doing so good in attracting new businesses or much in teh way of fast population growth.  We get the Jags and Jax in suddenly nationally, and in some cases internationally known, we have increases in business and population like we haven't seen in a long, long time.  Go ahead and try to put a price tag on that kind of exposure that would never have gotten otherwise.  You are also not even considering the money the city recieves every year from the team itself, stadium naming rights and more.  So far, the city paid $60 million in orginal construction and $40 million in superbowl upgrades for a total of $100 million. It is estimated that Jacksonville recieves $131 million per year into the economy plus the extra $350 million from the superbowl.

Average cost for a stadium now is over $300+ million (Detroit - $471 mil....Houston - $424 mil....Seattle - $465 mil) and some of those cities still deal with black outs.

Need I go on?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[jeafl]

There is absolutely no chance Oceana is turned into an international airport. This is a major blow to region, especially Virginia Beach investments in their Town Center.  However, Virginia Beach brought this situation on themselves, allow junk sprawl to suffocate the base. There is no way no the city and state can afford to buy up all the development now.  Congrads to Jax on getting the Base.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know that the area around Cecil has been booming sinice the base closed so a buffer zone around the base could be an issue. But, what about Jax NAS? Development around this bas is just as bad if not worse than it is around Cecil. NAS planes come over my yard so low you can read the numbers on them. Why do the people who live around Cecil or Oceana get to object, when the people around Jax NAS do not?

[jeafl]

I love these broad conclusory statements.  While it is clear that you do not care about football, it is far from proven that "the people of Jacksonville" do not care about football.  Do you have some personal animosity against football or the Jaguars?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If the People of Jacksonville care about football, why have 20% of the Jaguars' home games been blacked out? You blame it on the team's records. But, wouldn't a true football fan go to a game regardless of whom the winner is just to be able to watch a NFL game in person? And what about other loosing teams whose fans support them anyway?

[vdogg]

There is absolutely no chance Oceana is turned into an international airport. This is a major blow to region, especially Virginia Beach investments in their Town Center.  However, Virginia Beach brought this situation on themselves, allow junk sprawl to suffocate the base. There is no way no the city and state can afford to buy up all the development now.  Congrads to Jax on getting the Base.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I really doubt that TC will be affected at all by this. The type of business that would be lost has absolutely nothing to do with towncenter, and the residential demand for condos in that area is pent up demand from people not even associated with the military. That demand will not be satisfied for the forseeable future.