Small town in Pennsylvania recovers-slowly-from BRAC.

• Author: Kennedy, Harold

As the nation braces for another round of military base realignments and closures in 2005, a small, former U.S. Navy facility just outside of Philadelphia, which closed its gates eight years ago, just now is recovering from the BRAC experience. The process, however, has been slow.

The Naval Air Warfare Center at Warminster, Pa., was the site of a Brewster Aeronautical Corporation factory that built fighters and bombers during World War II, After the war, the Navy took over the facility to develop and test aircraft.

In 1952, the world's largest human centrifuge was installed to help teach pilots how to handle the heavy pull of gravity--G forces--associated with high-performance aircraft. Later, NAWC became a training Facility for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs.

In the 1995 BRAC, however, NAWC was designated for closure. It went out of business a year later, and most of its programs were transferred to Patuxent River Naval Air Warfare Center, in Maryland, and Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station, N.J. Many of NAWC's 2,311 workers transferred to those locations; others retired.

Of the base's 817 acres of land, 757 were turned over in the Bucks County Federal Land Reuse Authority for redevelopment. In 2001, Erickson Retirement Communities, headquartered in Catonsville, Md., received a $4 million federal economic development grant to build a gated retirement community on a 103-acre portion of the land.

Erickson planned to attract retirees drawn by the antique stores and art galleries in nearby New Hope and Doylestown, the scenic Delaware River, and the big city sophistication of Philadelphia.

The development--called Ann's Choice, after a colonial-era settler--features apartments, a clubhouse, restaurants, shops, banking, all-season aquatic and fitness centers, medical facilities, and beauty salons. Since the grand opening in August 2003, nearly 300 residents have moved in. A third residential building, with 109 additional apartments, was scheduled to open in March of this year.

The community's grounds are vastly different from the military days. The place is being landscaped much more intensely. Manmade ponds are being installed, and 3,900 trees are being planted.

Right next door to Ann's Choice, Warminster Township received 243 acres for a new park. "It was a big deal for Warminster," said Karen Whitney, the townships director of parks and recreation. "It doubled the size of our park system. Just in give you some idea, our...