Novel economic development
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igher-paying jobs. And more of them.
That's the goal of economic development -- the holy grail of states, counties and cities looking for increased tax revenue and a higher standard of living for residents.
Officials in Davis County are looking to make that happen via two 550-acre developments they hope will straddle Hill Air Force Base in the near future. Both have been on community radar screens for some time, but only now is economic growth in Davis making the ground fertile for such potentially massive growth.
For the past couple of years, officials have been working on a plan to develop 550 acres of federal land on the western edge of Hill -- on the base itself. The goal is to populate the ground with aerospace-industry businesses to complement Hill's mission and to dovetail with Ogden's burgeoning pod of aerospace companies on and near the Ogden-Hinckley Airport.
Because this is a first-of-its-kind development for the U.S. Air Force -- which will select the developers that will be allowed to lease the land in return for providing military office space in the developments -- local, state and federal officials have been taking their time. But if the result is positive for Uncle Sam, this sort of partnership could be replicated at other military bases around the country.
Ironically, there are another 550 acres on the east side of Hill that also are ripe for development. But this parcel of land is owned by Layton city and Davis County. It, too, is being targeted for higher-paying jobs, with a probable emphasis on aerospace and composite-manufacturing companies. Again, that makes sense being adjacent to Hill.
These two developments are critical to Davis County's economic future, since as the Standard-Examiner reported last week: The University of Utah's most recent survey of Davis County average wages showed Davis wages are about 1 percent below the statewide average. That's due to the growth in service-sector jobs relative to higher-paying professional, manufacturing and government jobs.
We're encouraged to see our elected officials and government staff working so diligently to boost the local economy.
If we can magnify the aerospace imprint on the Top of Utah, it should provide a much-needed and lasting boost to our economy.
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