JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville on Wednesday was awarded a $200,000 Defense Infrastructure Grant for the 2012-13 fiscal year.
The grant awarded from the state of Florida's official economic development organization, Enterprise Florida, acts as a vehicle to allow the city to continue its anti-encroachment efforts.
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"My administration is proud to take part in efforts to protect assets and promote safety around Naval Air Station Jacksonville," Mayor Alvin Brown said in a news release. "The Defense Infrastructure Grant is an opportunity to ensure we are setting reasonable and responsible boundaries to further cultivate the major defense investment in NAS that will benefit our city for many years to come."
The award will be used to further anti-encroachment efforts near NAS Jacksonville's Outlying Landing Field Whitehouse. The city's Military Affairs, Veterans and Disabled Services Department will administer the grant and work with the Navy to acquire development rights, from willing landowners, on properties located in the Military Notice Zone as designated by the city of Jacksonville Comprehensive Plan near OLF Whitehouse.
The project allows the city and the Navy to permanently secure this field from encroachment and allows the pilots utilizing this field to adequately train for carrier landings.