Seeking an analysis and development plan for a portion of the 5,331-acre Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va., the U.S. Navy turned to the Counselors of Real Estate.

The station, also known as NAS Oceana, is the Navy’s East Coast master jet base, home to F/A-18 Super Hornets. CRE’s public service initiative, the CRE Consulting Corps, helped the Navy develop a strategic plan to

• Work with public and private partners 
• Realign infrastructure, facility use, and delivery of services
• Redevelop housing, recreation, and support facilities for Navy and Marine Corps personnel

“The Navy approached [CRE] for its expertise in analyzing noncore activities, land, and buildings, and to provide viable best-use options,” said Michel Couillard, CRE, Chair of the Counselors. As part of its information gathering, the Consulting Corps team toured the installation and its facilities, analyzed demographics and market data, studied maps, and interviewed more than 40 local stakeholders, said Jerry Turner Jr., CRE, the group’s team leader. The group also identified market sectors that could use land or facilities on the property.

The Consulting Corps provided Navy officials with a framework to achieve their goals by examining redevelopment options, considering alternative leasehold structures, and working with key partners to explore and implement public-private partnerships.

As an addition to the assignment, U.S. Navy and Virginia Beach municipal officials toured a successful military redevelopment project in San Antonio—the conversion of the former Brooks Air Force Base into a modern 1,300-acre mixed-use community.

The CRE Consulting Corps provides objective analysis, adaptive reuse strategies, and action plans to help communities, educational institutions, government entities, and nonprofit organizations.

CRE members volunteer for Consulting Corps assignments. The Naval Air Station Oceana is one of more than 50 assignments completed by CRE Consulting Corps teams.

Learn more about the Consulting Corps at cre.org.