Grissom Aeroplex.

• Author: Black, Doug
• Position: Regional Report: North-Central - Brief Article

A full-service airfield, residential communities and a diverse group of businesses make the new Grissom Aeroplex a small town of its own.

About two years after Grissom Air Force Base closed in 1994, the Grissom Redevelopment Authority got control of some 3,000 acres outside of Peru. "Our ideal location, just a one-day drive from 65 percent of the U.S. population, makes us very attractive to both businesses and families," says Dan Goddard, executive director of Grissom Redevelopment Authority. "We are well on the way to achieving our goals."

Sixty-five percent of the property is now occupied, out of the 3,000 available acres.

The U.S. government transferred the property to Miami County under a no-cost rural economic development conveyance. The Grissom Redevelopment Authority board hired Goddard to take on the project promptly after the facility was shut down.

Though the community lost some 4,500 military and civilian jobs when the base closed, redevelopment efforts have the area thriving once again. Of the 1,128 housing units on the base--completely remodeled by Aspen Square Management--750 are now occupied, and the numbers continue to grow steadily. The Estates at Eagle's Point offers two-,three-and four-bed-room homes that come in duplex, ranch and single-family styles.

Currently, Grissom Aeroplex is home to 28 different businesses including Alliance Group Technologies, a contract electronics manufacturer. Also on...