Recently Fort Campbell faced the possibility of further troop cuts, and a sigh of relief resulted when the proposed cuts were far fewer than expected — only 353 rather than the feared worst-case number of 16,000.
That anxiety was a reminder of fears that came with the closing of Sewart Air Force Base in Smyrna in 1971, but 45 years later, the former military facility is not only continuing to contribute to the economic well-being of the county but is working to increase that important role.
Rutherford County and Smyrna have worked together since 1971 to make the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport a center for economic development as well as a center for aviation.
Smyrna now is the site of the busiest and third-largest general-aviation airport in the state, and economic-development officials extol its role in serving existing industries and providing an incentive for new businesses to locate in the county.
A ceremony last week recognized those efforts as work continues on two new hangars and an adjacent office building. Also on the site are hundreds of acres of land ready with utilities for location of new businesses.
Rutherford County, Smyrna, the county Industrial Development Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have made a substantial investment in this effort to increase the role of the former Air Force base site in the county’s economy.
We congratulate those who have pushed to expand the facilities at the old Sewart Air Base and wish them the best of luck in achieving their economic-development goals.
Smyrna, of course, already is the site of the county’s largest private employer, Nissan, and its planned supplier park promises to provide an additional 1,000 jobs in the county.
Nissan also is a partner in efforts to provide a new training center for advanced manufacturing that will operate through the Tennessee Center for Applied Technology in Murfreesboro and serve companies that move to Rutherford County or expand their operations here.
With interstate, aviation and rail access; available land and utilities; and opportunities for continuing workforce development through the new training center, Motlow State’s campus and MTSU; the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority has available a winning package of inducements to recruit businesses and industries.
We wish it the best with its efforts because all Rutherford County residents can benefit from successful adaptive reuse of a U.S. Air Force base.
The opinions in this space represent a consensus of discussion by The Daily News Journal Editorial Board.
Original article can be found here: http://www.dnj.com/story/opinion
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