Last piece of available Air Force land transferred at former Griffiss Published Jan. 21, 2014 By Air Force Civil Engineer Center Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- The Air Force Civil Engineer Center transferred the last available piece of federally owned land at the former Griffiss Air Force Base, N.Y., to the Oneida County Industrial Development Agency Jan. 21. The parcel, known as Building 101, is a hangar and apron area used for aircraft repair and maintenance. The Air Force is retaining approximately one-fourth of the building to be used for research and development. "Griffiss was realigned, not closed, under Base Realignment and Closure law, and as a result, the Air Force still has an active-duty presence," said BRAC Environmental Coordinator Michael McDermott. "In evaluating the asset needs of the Air Force, it was determined a portion of Bldg. 101 was necessary to fulfill a mission-essential requirement." The Griffiss Local Development Corporation manages the redevelopment of the former Griffiss AFB including Bldg. 101. The base was renamed Griffiss Business and Technology Park in continuing honor of Lt. Col. Townsend E. Griffiss, the first U.S. Airman killed in the line of duty in World War II. The 3,500-acre development contains nearly 80 businesses, the Griffiss International Airport operated by Oneida County, and several Department of Defense agencies including the Air Force Research Laboratory-Rome Research Site, Defense Financing and Accounting Service Center and Eastern Air Defense Sector. The park presently employs approximately 6,200 people working in the aviation, education, manufacturing, office, recreation and technology fields. Both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation concurred the property was suitable for reuse prior to AFCEC transferring it to the community. Although the property transfer is complete, the Air Force remains responsible for achieving the environmental cleanup goals. "This achievement is a major step in completing the redevelopment of the Griffiss Business and Technology Park," said McDermott. "Complete ownership of all the non-federal property allows the community greater flexibility in the reuse and future redevelopment decisions. Although this milestone is significant, the Air Force is still responsible for and looking forward to completing the total cleanup of the former base." To date, AFCEC has invested more than $170 million in BRAC cleanup actions at the former installation. Another $11.2 million is budgeted to complete cleanup. Griffiss is located in the center of New York State and supported electronic research and bomber missions throughout its time as an active-duty installation. The base was selected for realignment as part of the BRAC decisions of 1993, 1995 and 2005. Today, the former Griffiss AFB is one of 40 former installations managed by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. AFCEC's Installations Directorate conducts the strategic acquisition, management and disposal of Air Force real property. The BRAC division manages the remediation and transfer of more than 88,000 acres of property at 40 former installations to local communities for economic development. Griffiss is the 33rd former installation transferred for community reuse. For more information on the Air Force's BRAC environmental cleanup program, call 866-725-7617 or email afcec.pa@us.af.mil.