EDITORIAL: With Grand Sky funding, we ask: Why not now?
Jan. 28—Why not here? Why not now?
Those were questions asked by Tom Swoyer
back in 2015
as the first dirt was turned at Grand Sky, the aviation park west of Grand Forks.
Those words played prominently in a
report last week published in the Grand Forks Herald,
which noted that "more than seven years later, that optimism has been rewarded with major tenants and big investments, and with a community that often sees Grand Sky as a window into its future."
It's not just local optimism. When major national companies like
Northrop Grumman
and
General Atomics
set up shop in your community, it's saying something. Yet here they are — they have made that commitment and they obviously share that optimism.
We hope state lawmakers have a similar outlook. If they do, they can prove it by granting funding requests that would take Grand Sky to an even higher level. All told, it comes to $22 million — a big ask, no doubt, but one that would add important components to allow the park to grow and accommodate
current and future tenants.
Importantly, it would allow Grand Sky to continue to be a pacesetter on a national level in unmanned aerial systems, an industry that is proving so important to Grand Forks and Grand Forks Air Force Base, which shares some of its facilities with Grand Sky.
Of that $22 million, $12 million would be used to expand the hangar area, while $10 million would go toward vital infrastructure upgrades — roads, fiber optics and the like.
Of course, lawmakers might ask: If Grand Sky is doing so well in such a short time, why is all of this state money needed for upgrades?
Swoyer answers it better than we can: "Grand Sky can sustain itself right now financially, but can't really grow by itself right now. ... I'm not asking, and the county's not asking, for the Legislature to fund the businesses at Grand Sky. We're asking for help with the tools that let us build Grand Sky."
There it is: To "build Grand Sky."
Grand Sky's importance to the community and the state isn't just in bringing in a few high-tech businesses. It's about essentially creating an industry from scratch, one that not only will boost the economy but one that adds a certain amount of strength to the community's bond with Grand Forks Air Force Base.
The base, of course, brings a mountain of economic impact to not only Grand Forks, but the entire region. Now add to that the impact of the businesses that populate the buildings at Grand Sky.
Together, it's an economic beast — and one that, with further growth, can be counted on in the future.
Further, always remember that Grand Sky is the result of an effort that has included a number of entities, including the city, Grand Forks County, the state and the local Base Retention and Investment Committee. Their combined work a decade ago has made this region — and to an extent, the whole state — a destination for these high-tech businesses. Now, potential exists for even greater growth that will continue to benefit North Dakota.
So, lawmakers, we ask: Why not here? Why not now?
Let's not miss this opportunity.
