PKF Consulting Supports Planning Efforts at Fort Bragg

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. October 14, 2008

BOSTON, MA, July 5, 2007. The Base Realignment and Closure Regional Task Force (BRAC-RTF) recently began a planning effort for the 11-county region surrounding Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Comprehensive Regional Growth Plan being developed is in preparation for the relocation of, among other organizations, two major Army command groups; Forces Command (FORSCOM) and U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARCOM) from Fort McPherson, Georgia, located in Atlanta. The Plan's development is being funded through a Department of Defense grant for the benefit of communities that are affected by the changes at Fort Bragg.

Ultimately it will provide data and guidance to the private sector so that businesses, public entities, and individuals can make decisions based on what Fayetteville and the surrounding communities will be like in 2012 and beyond. The planning effort now underway at Fort Bragg is the largest of its kind in the United States, and one of the few that is focusing on growth, rather than on the negative impacts of base closure.

"The start-up of the Regional Growth Plan is a huge step forward for this region," said Tim McNeill, Chairman of the BRAC RTF. "This may be the largest and most comprehensive regional impact study that has ever been attempted in North Carolina."

PKF Consulting (PKFC) is part of multi-faceted team assembled by Training and Development Associates (TDA) of Laurinburg, North Carolina. The full team consists of experts in the fields of economic and workforce development, education, health care, transportation, housing, and military and community land planning. PKFC's role is to evaluate the changes set to occur at Fort Bragg and assess the need for additional hotels and meeting/convention space in the supporting communities.

Further, PKFC will be making recommendations on the need for more Quality of Life programs such as recreational activities, parks, performing arts facilities and cultural attractions within the 11-county area. The impact of 25,000 - 40,000 new residents, as well as increased corporate, group and leisure visitation, on the hospitality assets in the Fort Bragg community is anticipated to be profound.

"After thoroughly researching the hospitality industry, it became clear that PKF Consulting was the leader in the field, combining an in-depth knowledge of the private sector lodging industry with extensive military hospitality planning experience," said Wayne Freeman, President and CEO of TDA, Inc. "It has since become even clearer that we made the right choice."

Once the BRAC actions have completed, Fort Bragg will be the largest military installation in the United States. Military construction, alone, related to the changes at Fort Bragg is expected to top $2.2 billion over the next five years. An additional $1 billion per year in annual contract spending increases is also anticipated. Having adequate lodging and meeting space facilities within the surrounding communities, along with sufficient availability of quality of life facilities and programs, is essential to fulfilling the military mission at Fort Bragg, particularly at a time when many troops are deployed and away from their families.

"With more than 20 years of experience analyzing military lodging and quality of life facilities and programs, PKFC has developed a deep understanding of the military customer's wants, needs and desires," said Reed Woodworth, Director of Public Sector Services for PKFC. "We expect that our knowledge will be a significant value-add to the TDA team."

Contact Reed Woodworth at PKFC in Boston at 617-753-9985 for more information on our public sector consulting practice, and Mark Woodworth at PKF Hospitality Research in Atlanta at 404-842-1150 for more information regarding PKF Consulting's research capabilities.