FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 30, 2007

For more information contact:
Steve Achter
Director, Investment Ready Communities Division
Wyoming Business Council
Cell: 307.631.4274

Rachel Girt
Manager, Marketing & Public Relations
Wyoming Business Council
Cell: 307.631.4681

Wyoming Business Council Board approves Business Ready Community and Community Development Block Grant requests

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors recommended $15,276,901 million in Business Ready Community Grants to the State Land and Investment Board and approved another $388,323 in Community Development Block Grants during their meeting today in Jackson.

Business Ready Community Grant recommendations made by the Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors today will be forwarded to the State Lands and Investment Board (SLIB) for final decision during their meeting on June 21.

The Wyoming has Business Council Board recommended the following BRC grants to SLIB:

The city of Riverton is recommended for a Business Committed grant for $1.5 million for site work and infrastructure to serve the Wind River Job Corps Center. The federally funded portion of the facility, a $40,000,000 investment, will begin in 2008 and the facility will be operational in 2011.

The Eastern Shoshone Tribe, in partnership with the community development organization, Wind River Development Fund, is recommended for a $2,635,706 Business Committed grant to construct a 15,000 square foot office building on a 2.6 acre lot located at the intersection of Hwy. 287 and Ethete Road in Fort Washakie. A portion of the building will be leased to SITCO.

Sheridan County is recommended for a Business Committed grant for $783,090 for infrastructure at the Sheridan County Airport Business Park to develop 16 lots. Two businesses, Pearl Property Management and Phoenix Fuel, LLC will expand their businesses in the new portion of the business park.

The Johnson County/Buffalo Commerce Joint Powers Board is recommended for a $1,485,000 grant to purchase a 25,000 square foot building built in 2003 and located on three acres in the Livestock Market Subdivision east of the Buffalo corporate limits. Twelve thousand square feet would be leased to a business start-up, Mountain Meadow Wool.

Lincoln County is recommended for a $70,241 Business Committed grant to install a fire hydrant and extend an 8-inch water main approximately one-half mile along Highway 89 north of Etna, an unincorporated community in northern Lincoln County. The project would provide adequate fire suppression necessary for the expansion of Teton Truss.

The town of Pine Bluffs is recommended for a $1.5 million Business Committed Grant to construct an 8,500 square foot, single-story, building on five lots in downtown Pine Bluffs. The building would be owned by the town and leased to ABC Direct, a mortgage brokerage, as well as other future tenants.

The city of Riverton, in partnership with IDEA, Inc., a community development organization, is recommended for a $3 million Business Committed grant to construct a 48,000 square foot heated and insulated oil rig manufacturing and service building to be owned by IDEA, Inc. and leased to R & R Rig Service.

Albany County is recommended for a $3 million Business Committed grant to purchase a 14,000 square foot building to be constructed at the city-owned Turner Tract. The project will facilitate the expansion of CBM Associates. A five acre lot was recently sold by the city to Wyoming Community Development Group, LLC. Wyoming Community Development Group, LLC (WCDG) will condominiumize the five acre lot into five parcels. The parcels would ultimately be developed into a five acre technology office park with multiple buildings.

The Northern Arapaho Business Council is recommended for a $1,302,834 grant for highway widening and a wastewater lagoon to benefit a housing subdivision and possibly a future business park near Riverton. The original application was for $3 million, but the board decided to recommend partial funding.

The following projects were not recommended by the board, but will be presented before SLIB for final decision.

The city of Sheridan is not recommended for a $2,767,500 Business Committed grant to construct a new 11,500 square foot early childhood education center to be operated by a child care provider and managed by the Sheridan Quality Child Care Initiative.

Laramie County was not recommended for a $1.5 million Community Readiness grant for a 15,000 square foot third floor addition to a new Health Sciences facility owned by Laramie County Community College (LCCC) and located on the college’s campus.

The city of Cheyenne is not recommended for a $1.8 million Business Committed grant to construct a 374-foot long covered walkway elevated 20 feet above the ground and spanning from Cheyenne’s downtown parking garage, across Carey Ave, along the alley of the 200 block of West Licolnway/17th Street to Capitol Ave. The project will facilitate the recruitment of a Marriott Townplace Suites Hotel.

The city of Jackson and its community development organization, Imagine Jackson, are not recommended for a $1 million Community Readiness grant for the construction of a 4,000 square foot, two story facility on 0.9 acres in the South Park Service Center.

Teton County withdrew their request for a $3 million Business Committed grant to upgrade a new trash transfer facility recently approved by county voters. The upgrades will include a water line and water storage, access road, excavation, and fencing. The project will facilitate the expansion of Terra Firma Organics.

The Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) is a federally funded pass through grant program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Wyoming has received an annual allocation from a low of $2.2 million, to a high of $3.7 million. The allocation for 2007 is $3,245,104. The board approved the following CDBG applications:

Natrona County was approved for a $277,323 infrastructure grant to extend water and sewer lines to the Old Pump House at the Platte River Commons. Upon completion of this infrastructure project, the Platte River Parkway Trust will move forward to renovate the Old Pump House, which will contain a restaurant as well as a bike and kayak rental store.

The town of Buffalo was approved for a $24,000 planning only grant which would be used to conduct a detailed assessment of the Main Street Downtown business district of Buffalo. The assessment will cover design standards, traffic control, parking constraints and an inventory of housing units.

Converse County was approved for a $25,000 planning only grant, which will be used to have an architectural review and assessment of existing library facilities. The study will make recommendations for increasing functional utility of existing space, as well as determining what expansion would be required to meet future needs identified in this study.

The town of Granger was approved for a $25,000 planning only grant to be used to hire a consultant who will prepare a comprehensive community development plan. The plan would direct the design process for public infrastructure, including water and sewer lines as well as put into place a long-term strategic plan for the community.

The town of Kaycee was approved for a $25,000 planning only grant to perform a feasibility study on senior housing. The study would include: a demographic survey of the geographic region; a needs assessment analysis; conceptual design and cost estimate for sustainable housing facility and establishment of a non-profit organization with development of its business plan.

The town of Upton was approved for a $12,000 planning only grant, which would be used to determine the feasibility of a senior center in Upton. It would determine what population numbers and services would result in a break-even budget and sustainable operation.

The following CDBG project was not approved by the board:

The town of Mountain View was not approved for a $7,500 technical assistance grant, which would have been used to help Uinta County State Bank design their Web site and online banking features.

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.

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