An old military annex in Palm Bay that has remained largely vacant for more than a decade could become the site of a new Air Force training facility, which city officials say would be a huge economic boost.
- Malabar Transmitter Annex, part of Patrick AFB, is largely vacant
- It's on an Air Force short list to get new life as training facility
- Palm Bay leaders say that would bring a 'huge' economic impact
If you’re not looking for it, it’s easy to miss. The vacant former military annex off Minton Road was once used as a World War II training facility but is now part of Patrick Air Force Base.
The Malabar Transmitter Annex has largely been unused for the past 15 years, aside from occasional training. Now, it is on a short list to be considered for a Battlefield Airman Training Center.
"If there would be another base alignment or closure process, this kind of insulates Patrick Air Force Base, because they would have this new facility and this new mission,” Andy Anderson, the city of Palm Bay's director of economic development, said Monday.
The Malabar Transmitter Annex in Palm Bay is on a short list by the Air Force to become a training facility. (News 13)
This isn't the only location the Air Force has looked at — eight other sites are being considered across the United States, three of them here in Florida.
However, the whole process is still in the early development stages. Palm Bay officials said they hope to know mid- to late summer whether the Air Force intends to build a training facility here.
City leaders are optimistic though, that the Air Force will choose this location.
"The economic impacts for the area will be huge. Anytime you add a military installation, that's additional people, that's transient money, coming from outside the area being spent in your community,” Anderson said.
The city said if the training center is opened here, it could bring up to 1,200 airmen to train in the area.