The US Air Force will sign a lease with Grand Forks County in December, allowing a technology park for unmanned aircraft to be built at Grand Forks Air Force Base, the state’s congressional leaders and the governor said.
“The Enhanced Use Lease programme will diversify the Grand Forks County employment base and provide financial and operational support to the Grand Forks Air Force Base,” Gov. Jack Dalrymple said. “We look forward to continuing to work with the county on this programme going forward.”
The county would lease 217 acres at the base for 50 years in exchange for payments. The business park, dubbed “Grand Sky,” will be home to firms specialising in research and development of technology for unmanned aircraft systems.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said in November that the project could create 2,700 jobs. “It is great news that the Air Force and Grand Forks County came together for this mutually beneficial lease,” Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said in a statement. “This arrangement will be a positive development for the entire Grand Forks area, as it will continue to grow its Unmanned Aerial Systems industry.”
Hoeven said in statement Thursday that having the tech park would bolster the state’s chances of becoming one of the federal government’s six test sites where unmanned and manned aircraft can mix.
John Schmisek, a Grand Forks County Commissioner, said that, conversely, becoming a test site could help drive development at Grand Sky. So far, Northrop Grumman Corp., an aerospace and defence technology company, has showed its desire to be the tech park’s anchor tenant, but hasn’t signed a final letter of intent, he said.
The county could name a private developer for Grand Sky on Oct. 30, he said. The developer would make the lease payments, he said. But getting the lease signed is key, he said. “It’s very critical.”
Source: Prairie Business