Military

Naval Station Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard closed on September 30, 1995, but the Navy Intermediate Ship Maintenance Facility (NIMSF) continues to store decommissioned and mothballed ships.

The Ship Systems Engineering Station (SSES) located at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center (the former property of the Naval Station Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard) is a vital part of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD). In 1992, the former NAVSSES consolidated with the David Taylor Research Center to form the Carderock Division. SSES is the Navy's principal Test and Evaluation Station and In-Service Engineering Agent for all hull, mechanical and electrical (HM&E) ship systems and equipments. SSES has the capability to test and engineer the full range of shipboard systems and equipment from full-scale propulsion systems to digital controls and electric power systems. The Station designs, improves, engineers, supports, tests, and evaluates ship systems, equipment, processes and components.

With the closure of the Philadelphia Naval Station and Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in 1995, SSES assumed responsibilities as "host activity" for the 24 activities remaining at the base. At that time, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process approved the Navy's plan to consolidate the Machinery R&D personnel and facilities at Annapolis with the Machinery ISE facilities and personnel at NAVSSES Philadelphia, and close the Annapolis site. That transition to Philadelphia was finalized in 1999. This move resulted in all Machinery functions from cradle to grave, being located at the Ship Systems Engineering Station. On October 22, 1999, the Machinery R&D Systems Center at Philadelphia was dedicated. The Ship Systems Engineering Station is located in Philadelphia (at the south end of Broad Street) at the confluence of the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers.

Naval Station Philadelphia was closed upon the reccomendation of the 1991 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC). The Philadelphia Naval Complex includes the Philadelphia Naval Hospital (NAVHOSP), the Philadelphia Naval Station (NAVSTA) and the Philadel-phia Naval Shipyard (PNSY). Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) of 1988 and 1990 mandated the closure of NAVHOSP and NAVSTA respectively, and placed the PNSY in a closed and preserved status. In 1995, BRAC IV excessed the PNSY property previously identified for preserved status and not required to support the remaining activities. Based on the changes in overall civilian employment, the BRAC process appears to have fallen most heavily on California, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Of these three states, only California has developed state-level offices with specific responsibility for defense conversion and community assistance.

The Philadelphia Naval Complex is located at the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. The property identified for disposal encompasses 1,153 acres, with PNSY accounting for 266 acres and Naval Base (NAVBASE) 979 acres (NAVBASE owned the land while NAVSTA owned most of the buildings). The former NAVBASE includes the Capehart Housing (13 acres) area. Another off-base parcel is the former Hospital (49 acres) and its supporting buildings. The BRAC 95 "footprint" was developed to segregate retained property from excess property.

The Navy is retaining ownership of approximately 1.8 million square feet of office, industrial and research space within the Philadelphia Naval Business Center, or about 20% of the PNBC real estate. The Navy employs approximately 2,500 civilians at this location. The retained land is identified as Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division - Ships Systems Engineering Station (NSWCCD-SSES), includes the Norfolk Naval Shipyard Detachment (NNSY-DET) Naval Foundry and Propeller Center; certain waterfront facilities under the cognizance of the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF); Public Works Center San Francisco Detachment Philadelphia (PWC DET); the Naval Bureau of Medicine (BUMED); and the Naval Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC). sites, Sites 3, 6, 7 and 15, referred to as PCB Sites, underwent an Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) and were under a Record of Decision (ROD). Two phases of remedial action were required. An amended ROD was signed in 1995 to revise the second phase. This amended ROD saved approximately $1.4 million in remedial costs. The remediation at Sites 3, 6, 7 and 15 is completed, and 13 sites are Response Complete.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania invested more than $500,000 to renovate a dormant building and pier at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center into a new cruise ship terminal to serve the world cruise market. The terminal, the first of its kind on the Delaware River, has been operational since late spring 1998. The Port of Philadelphia and Camden, responsible for managing the new facility, market city and state tourism destinations to travelers using the new cruise ship terminal to sail to and from Bermuda, the Canadian Maritimes, the Eastern Seaboard and the Caribbean.

Covering more than 1200 acres at the southern tip of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Naval Business Center (PNBC), formerly the Philadelphia Naval Base, is being developed by PIDC as a mixed-use, master-planned business campus that will serve as the premier business location in the Delaware Valley. Currently, PNBC is home to 48 private companies and nearly 2,500 employees. At full build-out, PNBC is expected to support more than 18,000 employees and more than 5 million square feet of mixed-use facilities. In addition, the US Navy has retained approximately 1.8 million square feet of space and 2,500 employees at the base, most of whom are civilian engineers and white-collar support staff.