Your District 4 team is excited tell you about what I think is some terrific regional economic news. Recently, we received word from the County Administrator’s Office that a major manufacturing firm is planning to move to Pima County, and locate very close to our Southeast region. Since non-disclosure agreements are in effect, this transaction carries the moniker, “Project Flag”. We have been told is that this firm is a lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing company that plans to employ up to 1,000 workers over three development phases, with an initial phase of 300 employees. The estimated average worker salary is projected to be $65,000 a year, providing an economic impact to our region of upwards of $3.1 billion.
The physical manufacturing plant size will initially be 250,000 square feet, growing in phases to 1.5 million square feet. The location has been determined to be on 267 acres of Pima County-owned land in the Aerospace Research Campus, south of Tucson International Airport. The appraised value and purchase price of the site is $23,250,000. The company is forecasting its total Investment in our community will be over $3 billion.
It goes without saying – this is huge.
And Vail, Corona de Tucson, and our Southeast Region are well positioned to benefit from this development. We’re just a hop, skip, and a jump away from this proposed new manufacturing facility, and what better area for its workforce to live in, recreate, and grow with our community. Let’s hope this vital economic project is inked, and serves as a greater catalyst in attracting many similar companies to our region.
One of our region’s challenges has been securing quality Internet connectivity and Internet-related services for our residents. Diamond Ventures has generously committed to constructing a cell tower to be located at its community park in Rocking K. This project will be going through the Planning and Zoning process shortly and needs our support. Spotty cell phone and other digital services are no longer a matter of inconvenience to our residents and neighborhoods. It is now a public safety issue. The tower is anticipated to be upwards of 80 feet in height due to the topography of the area. It will be in the form of a water tower, blending in nicely with the general theme of Rocking K and surrounding amenities. To follow and support the approval process, please contact the Greater Vail Area Chamber of Commerce at 520-261-8245.
A countywide business effort called the Tucson Crime Free Coalition has gathered more than 1,000 business members who are and have been suffering from the effects of crime, vandalism, theft, drug usage and dealing, public indecency, and other associated acts of general homelessness, primarily within the City of Tucson. The group has been meeting weekly with County and City elected officials and administrators to explore ways that homelessness and its negative impacts on the business community can be addressed.
While we have not yet seen issues of the same magnitude in our Southeast Region, we all experience and witness the ravages of homelessness with every trip we take into the metropolitan area. Crime Free Tucson is growing rapidly because business owners are angry and frustrated by this social epidemic and are tired of our local governments not doing anything to give them relief. I have and will be working closely with the group’s leadership in particular and the business community in general to find ways and means to combat this ugly problem and seek lasting solutions. I urge you to do so as well. You can find more information about the Tucson Crime Free Coalition at tucsoncrimefree.com.
One last thing, I love being your Supervisor!
Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy, District 4
33 N. Stone Avenue, Floor 11
Tucson, AZ 85701
520-724-8094
district4@pima.gov
