Firm picked to advance master plan at Joint Base Cape Cod

JOINT BASE CAPE COD – The Massachusetts Development Finance Agency is announcing the selection of a civil engineering and design firm to lead the ongoing master plan effort at Join Base Cape Cod.

The job went to Massachusetts-based VHB, Inc. This selection follows a Request for Proposals issued by MassDevelopment in December 2024.

MassDevelopment says they will identify current and future spatial needs of the base and plan for the redevelopment of any surplus property. The master plan covers a 7,000-acre cantonment area. 

MassDevelopment is also planning to work with the Cape Cod Commission to facilitate a robust and inclusive community engagement strategy with opportunities for public participation throughout the planning process. Members of the public can find up-to-date information about the planning process at the following website: www.jointbasecc.com.

Ideas that have been floated in recent years have included affordable housing and a combined civilian-military airport. 

The master plan will build on previous planning efforts, including the 2013 JBCC Master Coordination Plan, which MassDevelopment led in partnership with JBCC, and the 2013 Joint Land Use Study completed by Barnstable County and the Cape Cod Commission. The aim of the master plan is to optimize JBCC’s operational efficiency, support current military missions, and accommodate future needs, while also identifying opportunities to address the regional housing shortage and grow the local economy.

MassDevelopment was asked by The Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard to lead this initiative in partnership with The Adjutant General and JBCC officials as a leading member of the Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force (MASS-TF).

“The Healey-Driscoll Administration is excited to embark on a comprehensive planning process that helps position Joint Base Cape Cod for long-term success and identifies opportunities to expand housing and economic development on the Cape,” said Interim Secretary of Economic Development Ashley Stolba, who serves as Chair of MassDevelopment’s Board of Directors. 

JBCC, located in the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich, is a full-scale, joint-use base home to five military commands training for missions at home and overseas, conducting airborne search and rescue missions, and intelligence command and control. JBCC’s commands include the Massachusetts Army National Guard, the Massachusetts Air National Guard, Cape Cod Space Force Station, U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, and U.S. Coast Guard Base Cape Cod.