Chanute Air Force Base - Current Status

Current Status

Parts of Chanute AFB have been converted to civilian and other alternative uses. Many of the Air Force base's buildings and facilities have found new life with purposes that range from motels, retirement communities, restaurants, a fitness center, an aerospace museum, a prominent data center and several light manufacturing facilities. The golf course, once only available to service members and their guests, is now privately owned and open to the public. The housing on base, once comprising homes for airmen with families, is now occupied by civilians. Many buildings still remain unoccupied and are slowly deteriorating due to lack of maintenance. Widespread use of asbestos and the discovery of toxic chemical dumps have forced the condemnation of certain parts of the former base.

The Chanute AFB airfield and its associated hangars and flight line facilities have been converted into an uncontrolled general aviation airport known as the Rantoul National Aviation Center / Frank Elliott Field. The latter title is derived from the late Major General Frank W. Elliott, Jr., USAF, former Chanute Technical Center Commander and the City of Rantoul's Economic Development Consultant following closure of Chanute AFB. An aviation-centric museum, the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, is also located on the former Chanute AFB site, commemorating much of the installation's military history as Chanute Field and Chanute AFB. Finally, a 6-month military boot camp academy program, the Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy, is run for troubled youths, ages 16–18, by the Illinois Army National Guard and the Illinois Air National Guard in other former Chanute AFB facilities.