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: lo-unl of a 03d\ \ -v(itales least i. InI in [lion onaltherria.en-lary n in ntcly [Rind . Thethe iffieo 'ious nrds £ton. ted a e.clor, up's r all hope (s, to Die iung, and ay of ii is j! ofII heWednesday from the Texas Industrial Commission tn help the committee in locating industries that might waul to use the sprawling 2,095-acre base, which has 154 military aircraft.“It’s not a death blow for Laredo. We will have (o work in harmony to develop a plan to utilize the property at the base/* said Max Mandcl of the Laredo Notional Bank.Mandel's bank had a branch at the air base with about $1 million in total deposits. The bank constructed a new building on the base last year at a cost of about $80,000.Mandel, who is working with the committee, said, “If the Air Force can maintain the base Intact until it is sold, we can make a much better recovery.”The Air Force plans to keep a caretaker force of 140 military and 180 civilians at the base until it is sold or for up to two years, a military spokesman said.“In effect, we've got two different types of properly at the base,” Mandel said.He said the first is a block of 400 new homes with a golf course that could be used as a center to attract retired persons from the Midwest. The second property is a number of buildings that industry could use, and an airport.Businessmen estimate about 10 per cent of their business comes directly from Ihc base.Chuck Little, operator ol a tire service store, estimates 20 per cent of his sales are to base personnel, lie said effects ot the closure will not all be bad.“IL will pop the balloon—the inflationary balloon we have In Ijiredo,” Little said.‘I think Laredo can take this thing and run with it. I led we'll bounce right back,” said grocer Frank Elder.“Jt’ll hurL for six to eight months, but we still have our tourism,11 Cider said.“We had been fighting over insignificant things. Maybe this will be a unifying factor for the city,” Mayor J. C. Martin said.‘'Our theme is going to be to stay unified. It may cause some economic recession, but wc have been through this before,” Martin added.The bnse first opened in 1941. K was closed from 3945 until If 152 when it resumed operations.Asked if the base closing has any political implications, Marlin suid “No eommenl. I am not in a position to comment.’1Businessman |oinlcd nut thatr
Newspaper Details
Victoria Advocate
Victoria, Texas, US
Sun, Apr 22, 1973
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Texas A.
TX, USA 15 Dec 2023
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