as Government begins the job of putting empty lands and buildings to use.

Mr. Dale Fubler has leased 4,000 square feet of warehouse space for his sign business, Sharondale Enterprises.

And Mr. John Trimingham, Jr. of Salt Whistle Marine has leased 0.

3 acres of vacant land where he plans to store 50 to 60 boats.

Neither lease is expected to jump start the economy. But Land Development Transition Office deputy manager Mr. Jeffrey Simon said they signalled an important start in moving tenants onto the 464 acres not required for the Airport on the 1,024-acre former military Base.

"If there's an opportunity for us to help out a business and at the same time create revenue so we're not a burden to Government, we want to marry those two goals and sign a licence,'' Mr. Simon said.

"Two have been signed and several more will be forthcoming.'' An official seconded from the Ministry of Works & Engineering was sorting through a backlog of about 150 letters expressing interest in Base lands and buildings.

"We have consciously tried to limit our rental programme to businesses that will have low access needs,'' Mr. Simon said. For the immediate future, "you won't have any retail over here''.

Considerable demolition, construction, and road improvements would be going on over the next few years.

Government was concentrating on the Marginal Wharf area, where both of the first two tenants would be located. Usage is also expected to comply with the Base land use plan published earlier this year.

Only one-year licences would generally be granted, and all of them could be cancelled on 30 days' notice, Mr. Simon said.

Those restrictions were discouraging some tenants, but "the reality of the situation is that we have an antiquated facility that will require a tremendous amount of work,'' Mr. Simon said.

"For the long-term benefit of Bermuda we will not be able to go for the quick fix.'' Mr. Fubler, who has worked in the sign business for 27 years, will keep his present location on Bakery Lane in Pembroke. He plans to use his Base site for storage, as well as another purpose he would not disclose.

One of the first Bermudians to take advantage of the US Naval Air Station that closed on September 1, "I'm not a person who really sits still and waits for things to happen,'' Mr. Fubler said.

"The future down here is going to be quite promising. If you look at Dockyard, it started off very slowly. Now, it's a situation where they don't have enough space.'' He described the rent as "reasonable''.

Mr. Trimingham, who is in the boat trailoring and mooring business, said boats up to about 35 feet long would be stored on his Base site.

"There should be lots of others'' taking advantage of the Base, he said.

"There are an incredible number of opportunities.'' FIRST TENANT -- Cementing the deal yesterday are (from left) Land Development Transition Office deputy manager Mr. Jeffrey Simon, Sharondale president Mr.

Dale Fubler, and LDTO manager Mr. Ken Stubbings.