According to Geno Redmon, director of military and economic development for the Altus Chamber of Commerce, there are a “few more hurdles to cross,” but he is very optimistic about the developing economy of Altus.
“We’ve been approved to explore the joint use of the runways and to conduct an environmental assessment,” Redmon said.
Redmon says the city will work with AAFB officials to construct a taxiway that will connect with the AAFB runway. The project will be located on city property adjacent to the base on the north end.
“This will not interfere with Altus Air Force Base operations,” Redmon said. “We will not have planes flying out of the air park every day. Our flying schedule would be approved by the Altus Air Force Base.”
The park has taken on the name of the Southwest Oklahoma Renaissance (SOAR) Air Park. Negotiations with launch customers are currently being held. The companies will construct hangers for aircraft conversion and then convert 767-size aircraft from a passenger to a V.I.P. configuration or a private corporate jet airplane. The plan of the company would be to start small, by offering 20 jobs. Within the coming years, SOAR Air Park has the potential to bring more than 300 jobs to the Altus area.
“Although things like this have been talked about in the past,” Redmon said, “this is the first time we’ve actually put this into action. We want to try to capitalize on the assets Altus has.”
Redmon said that the process has been moving rather steadily. He plans to have something solid and in place by the summer of 2006.
“Typically, joint use with the Air Force can be a process that can take three to five years because there is a lot bureaucracy involved. We’ve had such good response from the secretary of the Air Force and their office. To move this far in six months is an encouraging thing to show the level of commitment we have from the DOD (Department of Defense),” he said.
Another venture that is in the early stages of talk is the joint and enhanced use of the AAFB golf course. If approved, the city will invest in making improvements and a new gate will be installed at the northwest side of the base. A new pro shop will also be built.
“We want to show that we are plowing new ground and exploring innovative ways of doing business, to bring jobs to Altus and improve economy by serving the needs of the Altus Air Force Base,” Redmon said.
This type of joint use is labeled at the Public/Private Partnership with the Air Force Base. Other examples of cities that have done this are Fort Carson, Colo., which has a public/private golf course partnership, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which has a hotel/ convention center that is used by both military and civilians. Redmon says the construction of the golf course could cost $20 million. He said the funding would possibly come from a private corporation, which partners with the City of Altus and the AAFB. The details of the golf course project are still being worked out and nothing has been finalized at this time.
“By improving the economy of Altus,” Redmon said, “we essentially improve the quality of life for citizens and the life of military personnel that are assigned in Altus.”
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