File photo. 

The U.S. Department of Defense has granted the City of Long Beach $3.9 million to help it develop an economic transition plan following the closure of Boeing’s C-17 facilities, the city announced Monday.

The grant will assist the city in transitioning the plant and its surrounding site, workforce and businesses in the region’s manufacturing cluster, according to a release issued Monday.

“This is a unique opportunity to turn the closure of the C-17 plant into a transformative moment for the City of Long Beach,” said Mayor Robert Garcia in a statement. “The investment made by the Department of Defense will help strengthen Long Beach’s economy, and solidify our City’s role as a leader in industry and innovation.”

According to the release, the plan will be implemented over the course of two years and involve input from stakeholders and workforce leaders. Developed with the city’s Gateway Workforce Development Board, the plan will zero in on the C-17 plant’s future uses, transitioning impacted workers looking for new employment and diversifying the regional supply chain for continued growth.

The city has already begun developing the plan.

“For decades, the Boeing C-17 program has brought a great sense of pride to our Long Beach community and to our nation,” said Councilmember Stacy Mungo in a statement. “This DOD grant will be extremely helpful as we look toward the future and find innovative ways to catalyze new workforce and business development opportunities on this storied site.”

A portion of the C-17 plant has already been developed as real estate property, including the community titled “Douglas Park.”