Aviation university to land in Brunswick

BRUNSWICK - The organization implementing the redevelopment of Brunswick Naval Air Station announced its first official tenant Tuesday.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which already offers courses at the base, has committed to stay or expand after the U.S. Navy leaves the facility in 2011.

Billed as the world's largest aviation and aerospace university, Embry-Riddle was described by Gov. John Baldacci and Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority officials as an anchor tenant critical to the air station's transformation to nonmilitary use.

"One of the linchpins of economic development is having a quality education program that's tied to business development," MRRA Executive Director Steve Levesque said. "I think this announcement embodies that discussion and shows a lot of promise for the reuse of (BNAS)."

The MRRA is implementing the reuse plan adopted by its predecessor, the Brunswick Local Redevelopment Authority. Utilization of the facility's existing airport infrastructure is a key element of the plan; MRRA hopes it will create more than 5,000 jobs - the same number state officials project will be lost when the base closes.

Developers hope that Embry-Riddle will spur job creation by training employees of other future tenants.

"Embry-Riddle's commitment to the region underscores the significant promise of the aviation industry in the redevelopment plan," Baldacci said in a news conference at the municipal meeting facility. "It's just one of the sectors that will help us transform the Midcoast economy."

The plan targets companies in several aviation fields, including maintenance, repair and overhaul; aerospace research and development; flight training; and charter and air-taxi service for general and corporate aviation, and Department of Defense contractors such as General Dynamics, the parent company of Bath Iron Works.

Embry-Riddle offers more than 30 degrees ranging from aeronautical science to space physics. It owns more than 90 training aircraft and 40 simulators for pilot training. The university recently trained 15 employees for Pratt & Whitney, another DOD contractor with a presence in the state.

"The key to attracting those jobs is having a quality education program to support that industry," Levesque said. "That's why this is so important."

According to Embry-Riddle Director Charlie Whitten, the university has 130 campus centers across the globe, yet it only has two traditional brick-and-mortar locations, in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz. Brunswick could be its third, and the only flight training facility in New England.

Whitten said the base's updated aviation facilities and new hangar made creating a permanent presence in Brunswick an easy decision. He added that Embry-Riddle's ability to tailor its educational programs to the needs of businesses would create a synergy with future tenants.

Approximately 25 adjunct professors are already in the Brunswick area. Whitten said that number would grow along with the student body, which is now estimated at more than 100. Whitten said he hopes to triple that number.

Levesque said it is difficult to quantify Embry-Riddle's direct economic impact.

"We view this as an evolving process," he said. "As we attract business, we expect their presence will grow along with the industry."

Embry-Riddle will become the third educational institution at the base. Bowdoin College and Southern Maine Community College have already received public-benefit, or no-cost, conveyances for property. Whitten said the university would dovetail its programs with those institutions, too.

"This is yet another new beginning for Brunswick and the Midcoast region," Baldacci said.

Embry-Riddle, founded in 1926, has been offering courses in Maine since 1991 and at the air station since 1994. It occupies Building 22 at BNAS; whether it remains at that location or moves has not been determined.

"Today's announcement is a major step in the right direction," U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a prepared statement. "Embry-Riddle's decision to maintain its presence here will help attract other high-quality tenants and will help facilitate early success of the community-driven reuse plan."

Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, expressed similar support in a prepared statement.

"The pedigree and partnerships that Embry-Riddle brings to (BNAS) couldn't be a better reflection of what we hope this facility will become in the near future," Snowe said.