WIESBADEN, Germany Aca,!" Once a U.S. military installation in Europe makes the base closure list, return of the property to the host nation is usually not far behind.
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The Bundesanstalt fAfA1/4r Immobilien Aufgaben recently took over DexheimAca,!a,,cs Anderson Barracks, and the Dexheim Housing Area on behalf of the German federal government bringing an end to a U.S. presence in the area dating back to 1953 when the installation was inaugurated as a sub-community of Bad Kreuznach.
Aca,!A"Most of the buildings were built by the Germans in the 1950s and 1960s Aca,!A| and the land is owned by the German federal government,Aca,!A? said Christopher Aboe, realty specialist from the Installation Management Command-Europe Real Estate Field Office in Mannheim, whose organization manages real estate matters related to the return of U.S. facilities to the host nation.
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Work to return the facilities and land to the German government began a couple of months after the 123rd Main Support Battalion furled its flag in Dexheim in June 2008.
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Aca,!A"Roughly 23 employees of the remaining DPW (Directorate of Public Works) team, with Directorate of Logistics and Army Family Housing assistance, cleared furniture and equipment from Anderson Barracks and the Dexheim Housing Area and prepared the site for turn-in to BImA,Aca,!A? said Charles Hughes, USAG Wiesbaden Enclaves Base Operations Support manager.
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As the time neared the return date the realty team in coordination with USAG Wiesbaden personnel made preparations and conducted inspections to ensure the property was in the proper condition to release it to BImA. The work included various aesthetic, infrastructural and environmental requirements.
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This involved Aca,!A"basically a joint inspection of all rooms, attics and basements in all buildings, inspections of all facilities Aca,!" POL storage areas, motor pools, a sewage treatment plant, utilities rooms and controls Aca,!" and a handoff of paperwork certifying that technical aspects are cleaned and decommissioned and environmentally safe before turn-in to the host nation,Aca,!A? said Hughes.
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BiMA is the German federal real estate management agency. Its primary mission is to manage and commercialize federal real estate. The agencyAca,!a,,cs efforts are aimed at securing investors for the property.
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Aca,!A"Usually the interest is in the former American schools because the U.S. facilities are better constructed,Aca,!A? said Aboe.
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And though the U.S. Forces were only tenants at the Rheinland-Pfalz location, modifications and improvements to the property could result in fiscal profits not only for the German landlord.
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Aca,!A"We ascertain the residual value,Aca,!A? said Aboe, explaining that things such as insulation, double-glazing, heating system improvements, additions of kitchens, bathrooms and balconies, and the construction of specialized buildings such as the commissary and dental clinic could garner the U.S. Forces refunds after the property is commercialized.
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At the point of return, BImA had no concrete plans for the future use of the property at Dexheim.
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Although the last military unit there, the 123rd MSB, inactivated in June 2008, the site was used to support several smaller community missions such as garrison Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses, Installation Management Command EuropeAca,!a,,cs MSF trainer courses, storage for Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation and Directorate of Logistics, Wiesbaden High School softball and baseball games and a DFMWR-sponsored softball tournament.
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The site was also used as an emergency vehicle marshalling site to support the mission of Nierstein-Oppenheim Feuerwehr and Technisches Hilfswerk - U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency equivalents - , during a flood response exercise in November.
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