Neither cutback is expected to have a significant impact on either area. That said, the news "disturbed" Mark Winson, the chief administrative officer for the City of Duluth when he heard about the closing of the naval base. "We consider the Naval Reserve Center an important element of our city," he says.
Military officials were unsure what would happen to the new $3.5-million, 11,000-sf center, which was recently built near the Air Guard's 148th Fighter Wing headquarters building. The center was moved to the air base so it would be more secure.
Yet there also was relief in Duluth that the 148th Fighter Wing, with its 1,100 full- and part-time jobs, was spared from the chopping block. But that was undercut by concerns that it could be affected by later cuts, especially as the F-16 fighter jet is phased out.
Perhaps the biggest economic impact to Minnesota is the scaling back of the Grand Forks Air Force Base, which is likely to cause in the nearby western Minnesota cities of East Grand Forks and Crookston. Grand Forks Air Force Base would lose its 50 tanker aircraft and most of its personnel, and the proposed changes may mean the loss of 2,645 military and civilian jobs.
Given that the base is the region's biggest and contributes nearly $380 million each year to the local economy, the ultimate job loss could be closer to 5,000. One victim of the proposed cuts could be a large housing addition already under construction for the Grand Forks Air Base.
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