Jul 28 1974
From The Space Library
The economy of Florida's Brevard County was recovering from the impact of Kennedy Space Center layoffs that had followed the end of NASA'S Apollo and Skylab programs, the Washington Post reported. Employment at the launch facilities had formed the basis for Brevard County's economy and when manpower at KSC was cut in half "the bottom dropped out." Construction came to a near halt, small businesses closed, and personal bankruptcies soared. By March 1971 the Federal Housing Administration held title to 986 repossessed Brevard County homes and the total tripled in the next three years. However, an advertising campaign, begun in 1971 to attract retired persons to the area and its vacant bargain real estate, started an upswing in the economy. Also contributing to the upswing were a pledge that NASA would not let its KSC manpower fall below the current 9500-employee (Civil Service and contractor) level, assurances that the Air Force would maintain its 13 300-man work force at Eastern Test Range for the next five years, construction of a new regional shopping center, and the advent of Disney World 95 km away. (Myers, W Post, 28 July 74, E10)
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