AFTER MONTHS OF SIGNIFICANT AMENDMENTS AND CHANGES TO THE DOCUMENTS PACKAGE
FORT MONROE, VA — The FMA Board of Trustees voted to recommend that Governor McDonnell accept the terms of the Department of the Army’s transfer of 312 acres to the Commonwealth of Virginia after significant amendments and changes to the documents package were negotiated by the Authority. The Board recommends that Governor McDonnell sign the quitclaim deed and authorize the execution of the Memorandum of Understanding for the transition plan and the Right-of-Entry agreement for the maintenance and operation of the utility systems at Fort Monroe.
Acceptance of the quitclaim deed brings 312 acres back into the ownership and control of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Memorandum of Understanding and the Right-of-Entry agreements outline the joint operations of utilities, property maintenance, and security of the property during the period of time that the Department of the Army and the FMA negotiate the remaining property ownership issues.
“The acceptance of the 312 acres is the first step in receiving all of the property back into the ownership of the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Glenn Oder, Executive Director of the Fort Monroe Authority. “Acceptance of the property demonstrates our good faith efforts to receive this property back into the control of the Commonwealth to preserve the history of the property and continue our momentum of appropriate adaptive reuse of Fort Monroe.”
This is the first of many steps toward bringing the property into the full control of the Commonwealth. Negotiations continue on additional parcels of land at the 565-acre site. “I commend the FMA team for the work it has done thus far and pledge to continue working closely with the Army to create an equitable exchange of the remaining property. This will allow the Fort Monroe Authority to continue its success in bringing people back to Fort Monroe,” Oder said. “We will also continue to work with the National Park Service to transfer property to them as soon as possible.”
Work is continuing on the development of a master plan for the long-term vision for Fort Monroe. That process, which has included several public meetings and community input, is expected to be completed sometime this summer. Meanwhile, the transformation of Fort Monroe is already taking place, as it becomes a popular place to live, work, find entertainment, enjoy nature and learn about history.
“We are pleased with the number of home rentals, new businesses, and the people who are coming to enjoy the Casemate Museum and public programs at Fort Monroe,” Oder said. “It is clear that people appreciate not only the beauty of this property, but the wonderful opportunities that it offers.”
For more information, contact Phyllis Terrell, 757-251-2754 or PTerrell@fmauthority.com.
[line]
The Fort Monroe Authority is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Fort Monroe is a federal military reservation and a National Historic Landmark (NHL) District located in Fort Monroe, Virginia. Fort Monroe was closed as a military facility on September 15, 2011 in accordance with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission.
