"Lowry is a maturing community, and the economic impactcompounds every year," says Tom Markham, executive director of theLowry Redevelopment Authority. "As we approach completion, we feelit's important to quantify the public benefit of redeveloping LowryAir Force Base."

The data is also useful to the 25 communities with militarybases announced for closure in 2005, he adds. "We want todemonstrate that there can be life after base closure," saysMarkham, who is also president of the National Association ofDefense Communities, a group that represents interests of allmilitary bases, whether active, closed or in the process of beingclosed.

Lowry Air Force Base closed in 1994 and the redevelopment isapproximately 80% complete. About 25,000 people live, work andattend school at Lowry. The total market value for residential andnonresidential construction at Lowry is $1.5 billion.