Official Map Approved For Former Navy Base In Horsham

HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — The former Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove now has an official map for its future development.

After approving an ordinance to rezone the former U.S. Navy base earlier this summer, the Horsham Township Council approved an official map following a public hearing on Monday night.

The township sees the 862-acre base off Route 611 and Horsham Road as a mixed-use development that would include a town center, office park, and regional recreation center, along with some housing.

Township officials will now focus on a comprehensive rezoning plan for the base. That plan is expected sometime in November.

Officials have previously stated that development of the base might not happen for decades.

The rezoning happened after years of planning and addressing PFAS environmental cleanup at the base, which had previously delayed redevelopment efforts.

In late June, the council unanimously adopted an ordinance to rezone the base from industrial to residential.

Since the closure of the base in 2011, the township has been proactive with the future redevelopment by expanding the sewer treatment plant, planning for public water, planning and implementing traffic improvements.

The rezoning allows for R1 and R2 zoning for woodlands, parks, single-family homes, schools, retail, restaurants, and professional office buildings similar to the Pennsylvania Lifestyle Campus on the other side of town.

The redevelopment plan was prepared with months of public input in large meetings and in small groups. It was approved by the federal government.

The township's timeline for the former U.S. Navy base:

• 2005 — The base was listed for closure.
• 2011 — The base closed.
• 2012 — The base plan was finalized
• 2014 — PFAS contamination was detected
• 2024 — An agreement of sale reached with the Navy
• 2025 — Council approves rezoning of the base

(Horsham Township)