Report Cites Rise in Costs of Moving Bases

The cost of closing two Georgia military bases could cost as much as ten billion dollars more than initially expected, according to federal officials.

In 2005, the U-S Department of Defense estimated that closing Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem would cost about 21 billion dollars.

According to the U-S Government Office of Accountability, that number now looks more like 31 billion dollars - an increase of about 48 percent more.

Plans are to turn Fort McPherson into a scientific research park.

Local officials say the Fort Gillem real estate south of Atlanta in Forest Park will attract strong interest from the private sector and is best-suited for a mixed-use development blending residential and commercial uses.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the military's Base Realignment and Closure Program - BRAC.