SENATORS MCCORMICK AND SCHATZ INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT REDEVELOPMENT OF FORMER MILITARY INSTALLATIONS

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) today introduced the bipartisan Increasing Opportunity for Reindustrialization Act, legislation to help communities redevelop former military installations by expanding eligibility for Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) designation to include Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites.

Since 1988, the Department of War has conducted five rounds of BRAC, resulting in the closure or realignment of hundreds of military installations across the country. While many communities have worked to transition these properties to civilian use, former military installations often continue to face economic challenges, including job losses, declining tax revenues, and costly infrastructure needs.

TheIncreasing Opportunity for Reindustrialization Act would create a new pathway for census tracts containing former military installations closed under BRAC authorities to be designated as Qualified Opportunity Zones. The legislation would allow states to nominate these areas for QOZ designation without counting them against the current cap on eligible Opportunity Zone tracts.

"Former military installations have the potential to become engines of economic growth, manufacturing, and job creation," said Senator McCormick. "This bipartisan legislation will give Pennsylvania communities the tools they need to attract private investment, support reindustrialization, and revitalize properties that have long served our national security interests."

"Former military installations face unique challenges in redevelopment, and our bill will help states attract investment and spur growth in these areas once again," said Senator Schatz.

BRAC sites often include substantial infrastructure, transportation access, and developable land that make them well-positioned to support advanced manufacturing, logistics, energy production, and other economic activity. Expanding Opportunity Zone eligibility to these areas would encourage long-term private investment and accelerate redevelopment efforts in communities impacted by base closures.

The Increasing Opportunity for Reindustrialization Act is supported by the following stakeholders:

"The Increasing Opportunity for Reindustrialization Act of 2026 represents a strategic investment in communities impacted by BRAC closures, creating new opportunities for economic growth, redevelopment, and long-term resilience in areas surrounding former and realigned military installations. We are encouraged by the opportunities this action could create for local communities and regional economic growth," said Dr. Anette Nance, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Military Community Enhancement Commission.

"We are grateful for the bipartisan leadership and foresight of Senator McCormick and Senator Schatz for introducing legislation that would extend Opportunity Zone eligibility to former military bases impacted by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program. As master developer of the Philadelphia Navy Yard, PIDC knows firsthand that when a base closes, thousands of jobs disappear overnight - and that rebuilding takes decades of sustained public investment before private capital can follow. We have made significant progress in redeveloping the site, but the most challenging sections of the Navy Yard still require the kind of long-term commitment that conventional financing struggles to support. Opportunity Zones can help fill a unique gap: by drawing equity capital from investors who would not otherwise engage with complex projects like former military bases, and connecting that capital to job creation, housing, and community reinvestment that transforms these sites for the long term. With the passage of this legislation, hundreds of former military communities that absorbed the economic devastation of base closures would benefit from similar investment and opportunity to rebuild and thrive," said Jodie Harris, President, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC).

The Increasing Opportunity for Reindustrialization Act retains the requirement that states nominate BRAC locations for designation while ensuring these tracts do not count against the total number of Qualified Opportunity Zones currently allowed under law.

The full text of the bill may be found here.

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