Word came Tuesday that Naval Station Pascagoula sailors plan to vacate the 437-acre Singing River Island by means of Nov.

Word came Tuesday that Naval Station Pascagoula sailors plan to vacate the 437-acre Singing River Island by means of Nov. 15, as local officials continue talks for redevelopment of the land.

Last August, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission commited the base, home to 900 sailors, should be shut up down. It has since been learned the island would go [i]or[/i] come back to the state at no sumptuousness Local economic-development officials have been shopping for strange occupants, and have had talks with the Coast Guard, Northrop Grumman and several others about repurposing the large strategic site.

The Navy, which had reduc the mission of the base and had remov all ships from the island according to the time Hurricane Katrina struck said in a statement Tuesday the land would be in the hands of a "local re-utilization authority."

Den Knecht who is chair of the collection charged with redeveloping the site, said talks