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The Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority has received $556,000 through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Cleanup Grant program.

The funds will be put to use to remove the old dilapidated gymnasium complex on the base to remove asbestos and other contaminants contained in the old building, according to Craig Field director Jim Corrigan. 

By removing the old structure, Corrigan said it could then be used for future growth of the aviation programs on the old military base south of Selma.

“We would love to see aviation support and training to occupy the area,” Corrigan said. “We have air traffic control training that we’re just starting up here. We have avionics training on the flight line. We’re working with the Economic Development Authority, the Federal Economic Development Authority to renovate a dormitory for students. So we’d like (Craig Field) to become a training campus in that area.”

The gymnasium sits across the street from a dorm that will be renovated. Corrigan said it is also located close to headquarters for training facilities Resicum and Advanced ATC, where students are trained in two different aviation fields.

Jeaneanne Gettle, Region 4 administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, said the Brownfields Program help return sites like the gymnasium at Craig Field to something that is a sustainable good use for the community.

This is the second grant Craig Field has received in this program, bringing the total investment over $1 million.

“We like to support these sites that hold a rich history, and it served as a recreational facility for the Air Force base personnel,” Gettle said. “It’s unfortunate that it’s fallen into disrepair, but that’s a challenge for us to remedy and an opportunity for us to change the course going forward.”

The contaminants contained in the building will be cleaned up with the grant, Gettle said. Going forward, she said the community will be asked to be involved with the future of the site.

“The project is more than just about cleaning up,” Gettle said. “It is about reclaiming. It’s about revitalizing this area.”

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Selma, helped secure the grant through the infrastructure bill.