SAN ANTONIO—Developed in 1917, Brooks Field (later Brooks Air Force Base and now Brooks City Base) is where aviator pioneers such as Charles Lindbergh earned their wings. The breakthroughs that took place at the US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine includes the development of high altitude pressure suits for the nation's space program. Additionally, John F. Kennedy toured Brooks Air Force Base and gave a historical speech to a crowd of 10,000 people the day before he died.

Oftentimes, base closures are seen as negatively impacting a small town economy, however, plans for reuse of military bases have successfully been adopted in many parts of the country. For example, the PPA Group opened Aviator at Brooks, a 280-unit apartment community at the former Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio.

Under CLEAR Property Management, apartments opened for leasing in June 2016. The Aviator apartment community is rich in history, as it incorporates adaptive re-use of former Air Force barracks and dining hall with newly developed buildings. Three former barracks were transformed into studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments, each with its own unique historical details. The former dining hall was converted into a spacious clubhouse, while seven additional buildings were built on the property housing one- to three-bedroom apartments, along with a limited number of townhomes with garages.