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VDA reports land purchase near Vance AFB, seeks funds for water and power resiliency and school engineering
Summary
The Vance Development Alliance updated the commission that the city acquired roughly 60 acres near Vance Air Force Base to protect airspace and expansion, and described pending projects — waterline work, substation tying, an Eisenhower School engineering grant and approved Military Planning Commission funds for local projects.
Mr. Cooper, VDA representative, told the Mayor and Board Commissioners that Vance Air Force Base’s airspace is its primary military-value asset and that the city recently acquired nearby property to prevent encroachment.
He said the tract is approximately 60 acres on the southeast corner of the base runway and that city and base officials moved quickly to acquire the parcel from a family trust once they were notified it was coming up for sale. “One of the most important thing, Frank, if you recall today, our number 1 military value asset is airspace,” Cooper said.
Why it matters: The purchase preserves approach and operations flexibility for the training base, and the VDA said the city can pursue state or federal reimbursements — including through the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission or the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) — to offset acquisition or project costs.
Projects and funding highlights
- Property acquisition: Cooper said the city completed the purchase to limit encroachment in the southeast runway approaches. He indicated potential reimbursement sources but did not specify final funding arrangements.
- Water resiliency: The base has upgraded internal water infrastructure, but Cooper said insufficient supply from the city’s Meadowlake Park tower means additional city-side work is needed to improve water delivery to the base. The city and base are exploring state assistance.
- Power resiliency: Cooper described a project to tie the 4th Street substation to a west-side substation and Vance’s substation so the grid can be switched if a substation is damaged. He estimated the project could cost “in the 8 to 15,000,000” and said the city will pursue Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) funds and other options.
- Eisenhower School: The VDA is pursuing an initial $1,200,000 engineering-design grant through OLDCC for a replacement or major renovation sized at about 350 students; Cooper said the project is expected to be about 80% federally funded and that engineering design could take roughly nine months before construction.
- Military Planning Commission allocations: Cooper reported approval by the Military Planning Commission for a $210,000 contribution toward the Eisenhower project and $70,000 for a backup generator at Woodring Airport; he said the city has contributed prior match funds and will seek additional Military Planning Commission or congressional support where possible.
Other notes
Cooper encouraged local officials to participate in a late-March trip to Washington, D.C. (March 24–27) to meet Pentagon and Air Force leaders and congressional offices in support of base and community priorities. He also noted ongoing MilCon engineering design funds for a squad operations facility and joint hangar and ramp improvements at Woodring Airport.
Ending
City staff and VDA said they will continue pursuing state and federal grant sources for the described water, power and school projects and requested guidance from the commission as opportunities and reimbursement decisions arise.
