Roosevelt Roads was massive. Honestly, "massive" doesn't even do it justice. We’re talking about 8,600 acres of prime coastal real estate in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, that once served as the "Pearl Harbor of the Atlantic." For decades, if you were in the Navy and headed to the Caribbean, you were likely passing through "Rosy Roads." It wasn't just a base; it was a self-contained city with its own airport, hospital, housing, and some of the most strategic dock space on the planet.
Then, in 2004, the gates closed.
Most people think the story ended there, with the fences going up and the paint peeling off the old barracks. But the reality is way more complicated. The closure of Roosevelt Roads Naval Station didn’t just leave a hole in the U.S. military’s southern flank; it left a massive economic and social vacuum in eastern Puerto Rico that the island is still trying to fill over twenty years later. If you want to understand why Puerto Rico’s economy looks the way it does today, you have to look at what happened to this base.
The Strategic Peak: Why the Navy Loved Ceiba
The Navy didn't pick this spot by accident. Back in 1940, with World War II looming, President Franklin D. Roosevelt—the base's namesake—saw the need for a powerhouse facility that could control the Caribbean and protect the Panama Canal. It was built to be a titan. The airfield alone had an 11,000-foot runway, which is long enough to land basically anything in the U.S. inventory, including the Space Shuttle if it really had to.
During the Cold War, Roosevelt Roads was the nerve center for Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility (AFWTF). It was the staging ground for huge international exercises. You’d have ships from dozens of NATO countries docking there. It provided thousands of jobs for locals, from high-level technical roles to service industry positions that kept the nearby town of Ceiba buzzing.
But there was a catch. To train, you need somewhere to shoot.
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That "somewhere" was the neighboring island of Vieques. For sixty years, the Navy used the eastern end of Vieques for live-fire bombing practice. This created a weird, tense duality. On one hand, the base was an economic engine. On the other, the residents of Vieques were living next to a constant barrage of ship-to-shore bombardment and aerial bombing.
The Breaking Point and the 2004 Shutdown
The tension couldn't last forever. The death of David Sanes Rodríguez in 1999—a civilian security guard killed by a misfired bomb during a training exercise—sparked a massive protest movement. It wasn't just locals anymore; celebrities, politicians, and activists from across the globe descended on Vieques. The pressure became a political nightmare for the Pentagon.
Eventually, the Navy agreed to stop the bombing in 2003. Without the training range on Vieques, the military argued that Roosevelt Roads Naval Station had lost its primary reason for existing. It was listed for closure under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.
By March 31, 2004, it was officially decommissioned.
The departure was swift. And brutal. When the Navy left, they took a $300 million annual economic impact with them. Imagine a town where the main employer, the main consumer of electricity, and the main reason for the grocery store's existence just disappears overnight. That’s what happened to Ceiba and Naguabo.
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What’s Actually Happening on the Ground Now?
If you drive through the gates today, it feels like a ghost town mixed with a construction site. It’s eerie. You see these perfectly paved roads that lead to empty lots where military housing used to be. But it’s not all decay.
There’s been a lot of talk about "redevelopment," but for years, it was just that—talk. The Puerto Rico Roosevelt Roads Redevelopment Authority has been trying to flip the script for a long time. They’ve had some wins. The airport is now José Aponte de la Torre Airport (RVR). It’s not a major international hub, but it’s a vital link for Vieques and Culebra.
The Marine Industry
The waterfront is where the real potential lies. Because the Navy built such incredible piers, Roosevelt Roads is one of the few places in the Caribbean that can handle massive vessels and mega-yachts. Safe Harbor Marinas has taken a significant interest here. They’re looking to turn the old Navy harbor into a world-class destination for the yachting community. It makes sense. You have deep water, protection from the elements, and a location that’s a perfect jumping-off point for the Virgin Islands.
Renewable Energy and Hollywood
There’s a weird mix of tenants now. You have solar farms being built on old tarmac. You also have film crews. The rugged, abandoned look of parts of the base has made it a favorite for Hollywood. Parts of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Do-Over were filmed around here. It’s a strange afterlife for a military powerhouse.
The Environmental Elephant in the Room
We can't talk about Roosevelt Roads without talking about the mess left behind. Decades of military use aren't kind to the earth. We’re talking about lead, mercury, unexploded ordnance, and "forever chemicals" like PFAS in the groundwater.
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The EPA has been overseeing a massive cleanup for years. It’s slow going. You can’t just build a luxury resort on top of a former fuel farm or a firing range without making sure the soil won't kill the guests. This environmental legacy is the single biggest hurdle to fast-tracking development. The Navy is still on the hook for much of this, but the bureaucratic process of "clean and transfer" moves at a snail's pace.
Why You Should Care About the Future of the Base
Roosevelt Roads represents more than just a piece of land. It’s a microcosm of the relationship between the U.S. federal government and Puerto Rico. For some, the base was a symbol of "colonial" presence. For others, it was the ticket to a middle-class life.
The current push is toward a "Live-Work-Play" model. The master plan includes:
- Over 1,500 residential units.
- A massive waterfront district with hotels and shops.
- Industrial zones focused on logistics and "blue economy" (ocean-based) businesses.
- Eco-tourism in the surrounding wetlands and mangroves.
It’s an ambitious vision. Is it realistic? Maybe. The biggest issue has always been infrastructure. The base’s power and water systems were tied to the Navy’s grid. When they left, the local government had to figure out how to integrate those systems into an already struggling island-wide utility network.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you’re looking into Roosevelt Roads, whether as a traveler, an investor, or a history buff, here is the current reality of the situation:
- Don't expect a theme park. If you visit, you're seeing a work in progress. It’s rugged. Bring water and a full tank of gas.
- The Ferry is the gateway. Most people currently go to Roosevelt Roads to catch the ferry to Vieques or Culebra. It’s moved from Fajardo to the old Navy pier. This has brought some foot traffic back, but it’s a transitory crowd.
- Watch the "Blue Economy." The most viable future for this land isn't in manufacturing; it’s in the ocean. Ship repair, mega-yacht maintenance, and oceanography research are the sectors that actually fit the existing infrastructure.
- Check the EPA reports. If you’re a real estate nerd or an environmentalist, the EPA’s Superfund records for the site are public. They offer a fascinating (and sobering) look at what it takes to remediate a military base.
- Local Impact. If you want to support the area, spend money in the town of Ceiba. The people there were hit hardest by the 2004 closure and are the ones most invested in seeing the base succeed as a civilian space.
The era of Roosevelt Roads Naval Station as a military juggernaut is over. It’s never coming back. But as a pivot point for Puerto Rico’s eastern coast, its second act is just beginning to take shape. It’s a slow, messy, and fascinating transformation that will likely take another twenty years to fully realize.