The base was ordered deactivated on 25 October 1945 and it closed by the end of the year. The airport was then returned to the City of Bartow by the General Services Administration (GSA). GSA required that the airport be used as an airport, and if not, that it be returned to the U.S. Government. In 1945–1950 a fixed-base operator (FBO) ran the airfield and flight line, while the large complex of support buildings that had been built by the Federal Government was used by industry and for storage.