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Grand Forks Air Force Base Lease Model for the Country

By Bill Dubensky Oct 12, 2025 | 9:23 AM

(File image)

 

(KNOX) – The U.S. Air Force said that a deal between Grand Forks County and Grand Forks Air Force Base is being held up as a model for military installations across the U.S.

That agreement is called the Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) which allows Grand Forks County to lease land from the base and sublease to GrandSky Aviation Park. GrandSky is first commercial unmanned aircraft systems park in the nation.

According to the U.S. Air Force GrandSky and the Grand Forks EUL has been used by the Air Force as an example of how other military installations leverage their surplus property.

The Grand Forks County Commission, Grand Forks City Council and Economic Development Corporation got together to find a way to make the local economy less reliant on the base if it shut down. The idea came about in 2011 after a number of economic studies were done, which resulted in the EUL and the commercial UAS park.

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