The daily newspaper reports that NAS Pensacola has issued a report that says the base employed more than 21,000 military, civilian and contract employees in 2008, with a total economic impact of more than $1.15 billion. – up about $39 million from 2007.
Does anybody feel it —other than those stationed on the base or working directly there? That $1.15 billion hasn’t saved our housing market. Or stopped the closing of dozens locally owned restaurants and retail businesses. Or prevented layoffs at Solutia, Wayne-Dalton, PNJ, GE and a hundred other companies.
I guess we can say, like the PNJ and Commissioner Valentino, that we would be much worse off if we didn’t have NAS Pensacola. However, NAS Pensacola sits on prime real estate near the pass to the Gulf of Mexico. How much more could that real estate contribute to economy if we moved the Port of Pensacola there? Deep water, very, very easy access to the Gulf, railroad access, Interstate access via Blue Angel Parkway and plenty of land for warehouses and distribution centers.