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Don’t screw this up, guys

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Illinois

* And no bad-mouthing Illinois, either. We need this investment…

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., is scheduled to host a briefing Friday afternoon at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah with fellow U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Gov. Bruce Rauner concerning plans to bring the $1.6 billion headquarters for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to St. Clair County.

The featured guest of honor: Robert Cardillo, the director of NGA and the man who, in less than month, is set to decide the fate of the new NGA headquarters: a patch of pasture and cornfields in St. Clair County, adjacent to Scott Air Force Base, or a site in North St. Louis, on the footprint of the old Pruitt-Igoe housing complex.

Friday’s briefing is set to begin at 2 p.m., according to a Kirk spokesman. […]

If it comes to St. Clair County, the NGA project will be one of the biggest projects in metro-east history. Construction of the 800,000-square-foot building will create 15,000 temporary construction jobs in addition to 3,100 permanent jobs.

Experts predict NGA West could be the first of other intelligence and defense agencies drawn to St. Clair County, bringing potentially thousands more jobs to the region in the years ahead.

But, hey, if nothing else, somebody finally found a good use for MidAmerica Airport.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 11:52 am

Comments

This would be huge for us here in the Metro East. And, after another 20-30 years, they might even break even on MidAmerica airport!

Comment by downstater Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 11:55 am
I just referenced Senator Durbin in another post and said some nice words about him, so…please, Senator Durbin, throw all of your political weight/capital behind this.

Scott is a crown jewel. Using an ice cream analogy, the NGA is the extra flavor, whip cream and cherry on top of the Scott sundae.

Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 11:58 am
Would be a really big deal. I hope they pull it off.

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 11:58 am
That is good news!

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 11:59 am
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. That. is beyond cool!

(What an interesting concept — that $1.6billion spending of public monies can cause such excitement about economic growth in an certain geographic area. Who da thunk? And Bruce supports this? I sure hope it has it’s own funding/revenue source. /s)

Comment by cdog Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:06 pm
Please, please, please no negative talk about the shape of Illinois, Rauner. Go all in positive, don’t soapbox!

Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:09 pm
I wonder if Rauner drops his g’s in this meeting.

In all seriousness be nice to see Durbin take the lead on this issue. He is from the area and knows its positives and negatives. Also, he did a great job in 2014 keeping Walgreens here too. I’m not opposed to state subsidies for an area downstate that has been depleted by free trade agreements.

Comment by Almost the Weekend Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:10 pm
- cdog -

They have the money …

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:16 pm
This would definitely help the ratio of dollars flowing to the US Treasury from Illinois compared to the dollars flowing back to Illinois from the US Treasury.

When we discuss the poor fiscal health of Illinois, this point is too often overlooked, IMHO.

Comment by Bill White Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:20 pm
Don’t tell the Governor, but those 15,000 construction jobs will be paid prevailing wage.

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:21 pm
This has been the biggest economic development story downstate for more than a year. Put aside any infighting and knock this one out of the park.

St Louis’ counter-proposal is far, far shakier than the one in Illinois. But it’s also backed by a team approach from Missouri’s legislators and leaders.

Comment by illini97 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:22 pm
47th. The construction will be prevailing wage, and the long term jobs will go to many civilians and service members who’d prefer to live in Illinois over Missouri.

Support offices from defense firms like Northrop Grumman (already an office near Scott AFB) and Lockheed Martin would pop up/expand.

Who knows, maybe some employees would like to get their MBA or Masters at nearby SIU-Edwardsville. Assuming it is still there, of course.

Comment by illini97 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:25 pm
I so hope there won’t be any DCEO or Gov. office people at that meeting. Schultz is one of those people who can’t keep his mouth shut about how bad Illinois is. The Metro East needs this in the worst way. I mean the worst way. I’m glad the Feds are putting this together.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:32 pm
@47th

=Don’t tell the Governor, but those 15,000 construction jobs will be paid prevailing wage.=

Probably more than that, 47th. It’s almost certain that there’ll be a project labor agreement on that project that will pay above prevailing wage. Foolish patronage like that is how you add $9 trillion to the national debt in 7 years….

BTW, where is this department now and why are they moving it? it’ll cost a fortune to relocate those 3100 workers. Or is this a completely new Federal boondoggle? Anyone know what “geospatial intelligence” is, and why we need to create this new facility now?

Comment by Arizona Bob Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:33 pm
Keep Rauner off the stage. He will do nothing but remind everyone how messed up Illinois is.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:35 pm
As an aside this agency is currently in STL. So not likely to get all new jobs many will be commuters. That are either already in IL or coming form MO to IL. Either way it’d be nice for IL to get it.

Comment by State Engineer Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:41 pm
Like I said Bob, don’t tell the Governor or he’ll have a conniption fit.

It would suck to have some good-paying jobs in Illinois. That’s the last Rauner needs.

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:41 pm
I am 100% in on this type of public investment, especially that it is STEM!
I am 100% in on wise public investment in infrastructure and improving the lives of Americans!

(RNUG, I was trying to be snarky. I am sure it is “funded.” But citing the rules we had to follow yesterday, The World According to GOP/Rauner, I was joking that there should have been dedicated revenue for it and not the typical deficit/leveraged spending that governments do. [Makes you wonder if Rauner was President, would he grind the whole nation to a halt like he has Illinois? Quadruple the $19T until prevailing wage/unions were busted?] /rant)

Good Job Durbin and Kirk!

Comment by cdog Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:43 pm
Arizona, the offices they occupy now are in South St Louis, near the InBev brewery.

The offices are too small and decrepit. After analysis, it is more cost effective to build new than refurbish buildings dating back to roughly the Civil War.

NGA provides mapping data and surveillance data to the nation’s defense and intelligence agencies and has done so since World War II, though it has had several names through the years.

A budget hawk will be happy to hear that St Clair county is giving the proposed land to the NGA, free of charge. Placing the agency adjacent to Scott Air Force Base is logistically smart as the Air Force’s Transportation Command is a huge customer of the NGA’s and is headquartered at Scott. Further, placing an intelligence agency next to a major military installation offers the greatest physical and cyber protection.

Comment by illini97 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:46 pm
Further, my neighbor currently works there, commuting to St Louis daily. Bringing NGA to this side of the river means he no longer pays Missouri income tax. Nor will he pay St Louis City’s 1% earnings tax.

This is all around a good thing. Illinois benefits. The DoD and NGA benefit. The employees benefit from a more spacious, safer location. The region benefits as these highly skilled and trained workers come here. Some of this investment in know-how then escapes the NGA and goes to work for science and tech firms throughout the Metro East.

I’m pretty high on making this happen.

Comment by illini97 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:50 pm
Thanks illini97. That was very informative. My only question would be that with such high vacancy rates in office space in Metro East and the St Louis area, that there wasn’t an abandoned office complex or industrial facility that could be converted for this use.

Comment by Arizona Bob Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:52 pm
You guys have heard of Google Earth? That was in large part a product of the NGA.

Comment by illini97 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:55 pm
Arizona- p.l.a. will not pay above prevailing wage. You sound like Rauner

Comment by Dingo Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:55 pm
All of this talk about airports. Won’t the employees still have to fly in and out of St. Louis’ Lambert Field for most of their travel? Or do civilians get to ride on Air Force jets? Or can MidAmerica Airport have the ability and infrastructure to take on much larger commercial traffic?

Comment by Joe M Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:57 pm
Good golly…will they next use South Suburban Airport for presser’s too?

Comment by Gordon Willis Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:59 pm
At last, something Bruce can take credit for. He can stand next to the other leaders and look like he’s doin’ sonethin’ . Bein’ one of the guys.

Comment by LostNFound Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:59 pm
AZ, I’d guess it has something to do with analyzing satellite imagery, but that’s just my shoddy public education talking.

Comment by Me Too Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 1:00 pm
Joe,

Some of the employees are service members, assigned to support the agency.

Mid America airport, a commercial airport operating in the Metro East is adjacent to the proposed site.

Comment by illini97 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 1:01 pm
==please no negative talk about the shape of Illinois, Rauner==

The only thing Rauner hasn’t said is terrible about Illinois is its geographic shape, but if he were to complain the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency seems like the appropriate agency to complain to. /s

Comment by AC Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 1:29 pm
Old Blue Dog will make a Novena after lent for MidAm, but ever the conspiracy theorist, I worry which state Hillary is more worried about carrying.

Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 1:41 pm
==Mid America airport, a commercial airport operating in the Metro East is adjacent to the proposed site.==
Sounds like a lot more flights will be needed though. I checked the current flights out of Mid America:

SANFORD ORLANDO -
THURSDAYS & SUNDAYS

TAMPA BAY/ST. PETE -
MONDAYS & FRIDAYS

LAS VEGAS - MONDAYS & FRIDAYS

FT. MYERS/PUNTA GORDA -
THURSDAYS & SUNDAYS

Comment by Joe M Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 1:53 pm
== Anyone know what “geospatial intelligence” is, and why we need to create this new facility now? ==

Yes, I know what it is and why they want to expand.

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 1:59 pm
Need a “Like” button for that last line, Rich!

Comment by Anon Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 2:09 pm
==My only question would be that with such high vacancy rates in office space in Metro East and the St Louis area, that there wasn’t an abandoned office complex or industrial facility that could be converted for this use.==

I would imagine it would be cost prohibitive to try and convert an existing structure given the high tech and security needs of this agency. It’s probably easier and cheaper to build a facility from scratch.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 2:09 pm
—-Thanks illini97. That was very informative. My only question would be that with such high vacancy rates in office space in Metro East and the St Louis area, that there wasn’t an abandoned office complex or industrial facility that could be converted for this use.

This is a highly specialized, highly secure facility. It’s hard to imagine adapting an existing structure that would work.

Comment by ArchPundit Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 2:24 pm
====All of this talk about airports. Won’t the employees still have to fly in and out of St. Louis’ Lambert Field for most of their travel? Or do civilians get to ride on Air Force jets? Or can MidAmerica Airport have the ability and infrastructure to take on much larger commercial traffic?

Most travel will be through Lambert. It’s possible it might help MidAmerica, but it doesn’t seem very likely. MidAmerica is big enough for almost any commercial traffic, it’s just hard to compete with an underutilized hub like Lambert.

Comment by ArchPundit Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 2:27 pm
I actually am pulling for North Saint Louis. Illinois could definitely use it, but North Saint Louis desperately needs this kind of development. I have reservations about the clown who assembled the property, but this kind of development really could kickstart some development there.

Comment by ArchPundit Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 2:29 pm
I don’t understand why Rauner is going to this. Doesn’t Mike Madigan run the state? /snark

Comment by Earnest Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 2:32 pm
Arch, as I’m sure you can tell, I’m strongly in favor of NGA coming to Illinois. The case for North Saint Louis centers on what is best for Saint Louis and ignores significant concerns with what is best for the NGA.

The St Clair site focuses on what is best for DoD and NGA.

Comment by illini97 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 2:35 pm
@ Dingo

=Arizona- p.l.a. will not pay above prevailing wage.=

It may not, or it may. It is not unusual for a PLA to get higher pay or better benefits than union sale, which pretty much sets “prevailing wage”. I remember back when they were building the Alaska pipeline in the 1970’s, it was agreed that the pipefitters would be organized under the Houston local which had a horrendous reputation for employee theft of big, expensive materials and equipment. The consortium agreed to pay much higher than union scale with the understanding that the local would prevent substantial theft. It didn’t work. Theft and hijacking was monumental.

A PLA is not unusual for large, governmental projects, and I have yet to see one where the unions didn’t get a sweeter pot than the usual rates. That’s why their written. We’ll see.

Comment by Arizona Bob Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 2:44 pm
The new proposed site in the Metro East is only 20 minutes from the existing site in St. Louis. The employees will still fly in an out of Lambert. Several years ago, some of the airlines wanted to run some flights out of MidAmerica, but Lambert threatened to pull their terminal space, so they backed off.

Comment by downstater Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 3:25 pm
illini97, I too am following this selection closely. The Illinois proposal is easily the best of the four being considered, but I don’t trust the current federal administration to do the right thing. I think they will choose the north St. Louis site, hoping to bolster the city and that down-trodden neighborhood.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 3:50 pm
—The St Clair site focuses on what is best for DoD and NGA.

Probably. Don’t deny any of that.

Comment by ArchPundit Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 4:26 pm
A little history, back when the Air Force Academy was built in Colorado Springs, it came down to 2 sites and Elsah Illinois where Principia College is located was the runner-up where the academy was going to be built. Elsah was the the leading site just before the final decision was made.

Comment by No. 9 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 4:30 pm
Federal money coming to Illinois -Maybe if we had a friend in Washington.

I do not trust Kirk or Durbin.

Comment by cannon649 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:48 pm