FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :
February 8, 2007
For more information contact:
 
Steve Achter
Director of Investment Ready Communities Division
Wyoming Business Council
Office: 307.777.2811
 
Tom Lacock
Senior Marketing and Public Relations Specialist
Wyoming Business Council
Office: 307.777.2834

SLIB approves Business Ready Community Grants

CHEYENNE – The State Land and Investment Board (SLIB) approved 12 grants worth a total of $19.6 million during their meeting in Cheyenne today.

After today’s grant allocation the Business Ready Community program has $19,215 left for the rest of the biennium, in addition to fund which may be deobligated by communities as a result of projects coming in under budget.

The State Land and Investment Board is made up of the five statewide elected officials; Gov. Dave Freudenthal, Secretary of State Max Maxfield, State Treasurer Joe Meyer, State Auditor Rita Meyer and Superintendent of Public Instruction Jim McBride. The Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors considers Business Ready Community Grant applications and forwards recommendations to SLIB for final decision.

SLIB approved the following grants:

• The Casper Area Economic Development Joint Powers Board’s (JPB) was approved for a $3 million Business Committed grant to construct a building. The building would be owned by the JPB and leased to the Construction Careers Foundation for an expansion of the McMurry Training Center in Casper. Currently, the McMurry Training Center has capacity for 125 students a day. The building expansion would allow the Training Center to expand its entry level classes and then add advanced classes in construction, energy and leadership.
• Ranchester was approved for a $1,219,558 grant which will be used to purchase and renovate an existing downtown building to facilitate the recruitment of Polo Gear, Inc. This Florida-based polo equipment and apparel manufacturer would like to locate its headquarters, manufacturing, wholesale and showroom to Ranchester.
• Greybull was approved for a $1.5 million grant for Phase I of Greybull’s Business Committed application. The town originally asked for $3 million for both Phases of putting infrastructure within the Greybull Industrial Site, formerly the Standard Oil Co. Greybull Refinery. Phase I would include installing a raw water line, municipal water line, sewer and roughed out, traversable roads. This project would facilitate the start-up of the Big Horn Basin Ethanol plant.
• Laramie Regional Airport Joint Powers Board was approved for a $1,867,500 grant. The money would fund site work (access roads, parking, lighting, etc) and funds to construct about 17,500 square feet of space. The building would be used for speculative manufacturing space at the Laramie Regional Airport Professional Airpark Research Center.
• Hot Springs County and the Thermopolis Hot Springs County Economic Development Company (EDC) was approved for a $3 million Community Readiness grant for the two-phase development of a 22-acre business park south of Thermopolis, known as Red Rock Business Park. The first phase would involve design work and the installation of a sewer main to the future business park. Phase 2 of the project would involve the looping of water line and build 14 lots within the business park.
• The city of Cody, in cooperation with the Cody Land Development Corporation (CLDC), was approved for a $3 million Community Readiness grant for a two phase project to bring water and sewer infrastructure to the North Cody Light Industrial Area, the area straddling Road 2AB north of the Shoshone River. The infrastructure would increase the potential for business and light industrial development of approximately 65.5 acres. The undeveloped CLDC property would be subdivided according to business needs, but lots could range from 5 acres to 33 acres.
• The town of Pinedale’s application for a $1 million Community Readiness grant was approved. The grant will be used to replace a 10” sewer line with a 24” sewer line to the west end of town. The town needs to install 9,415 feet of 24” sewer line from the town’s wastewater plant to the west end of the town where the town’s only developable commercial and residential properties are located. The increased capacity would make 50 vacant commercial lots business ready.
• The Bear River Regional Water Joint Powers Board (Bear River JPB) was approved for a $1.5 million Community Readiness grant for water lines branching off of a new water transmission line between the town of Bear River and Evanston along Highway 89. The requested funds would distribute water into a series of industrial areas along Highway 89.
• The town of Thayne was approved for a $790,000 Community Readiness grant for the looping of a waterline, sewer extension, and paving of Wright and Park Streets. These two streets border a new elementary school currently under construction (construction to be completed next year). The town has rezoned the 10+ acre properties across from the new school as Commercial.
• Opal received a $321,582 Community Readiness grant which will extend a sewer line and pave the commercially and residentially zoned Solliday Street. Most of the lots along Solliday Street are owned by the town and most are vacant, save one residence and a pump house.
• The city of Kemmerer was approved for a $1.5 million Community Readiness grant to construct workforce training space at an event center which will serve southern Lincoln County.
• The city of Rock Springs was approved for a $912,748 Business Committed grant to construct a 2,860 square foot building for the expansion of the YWCA child care services. This project will alleviate workforce constraints in Sweetwater County.

The mission of the Wyoming Business Council is to facilitate the economic growth of Wyoming. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.wyomingbusiness.org.

###