Wed, Mar 12, 2003
Grand Junction, Mesa County to Pony Up
Mesa County (CO) is ready to commit $600,000 of its taxpayers'
money, to entice Adam Aircraft to move to the lovely Western Slope
city of Grand Junction, and set up shop.
A local story says the county expects Adam to
eventually have as many as 400 people on its payroll, after
production of the centerline-thrust propeller-driven A-500 and
recently-announced A-700 twin jet (right) get going.
The Grand Junction Economic Partnership got a unanimous vote
from the county's rulers Monday, even though there was the usual
concern expressed over when or if the FAA would grant a Type
Certificate to the company. For production to run full-blast, Adam
would also need a Production Certificate, paper that might be
easier to get in a new, purpose-designed factory.
The
Mesa County approval matches an identical $600,000 offer approved
by the City last week.
Local interest in Grand Junction is perhaps spurred by the local
Alpine Bank's $5 million loan to Adam, just $4 million of which is
guaranteed by the nation's taxpayers, in the form of a U.S.
Department of Agriculture program for rural economic development.
"With the $1.2 million from the City and County [on top of the DoA
loan guarantee], Alpine seems to be covered all the way,
whether Adam is a success or not," observed one cynical opponent of
the deal.
Regardless the local machinations, Denver-area Adam hasn't said
whether it's prepared to move; or, if so, when; or even, to
where, saying only that a move to Grand Junction is "a real
possibility."
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