$70 Million in Stimulus Funds will create hundreds of local construction jobs, 500 permanent positions
Washington, DC – Business and civic leaders in Queen Anne’s County are praising the announcement earlier this week that the General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Department of State have chosen the county as their preferred site to build a new 1,250-acre Foreign Affairs Security Training Center, citing the jobs and economic activity generated by the new facility as a major boon to county residents and businesses.
Construction of the training center, which is funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress in February, will create hundreds of local construction jobs. Once completed, the new facility will support 500 full-time employees, and the 10,000 students projected to cycle through the facility annually will produce 25,000 hotel night stays in local hotels and provide a significant boost for area restaurants, stores, and other businesses.
“It’s with great joy that the Queen Anne's County Chamber of Commerce and the Citizens of Queen Anne's County will be able to welcome the state department and its employees and contractors to our area. The local businesses should begin to see a positive influx in sales and services in their customer base,” said Linda Friday, President, Queen Anne’s County Chamber of Commerce. “The business community would like to thank Congressman Kratovil, Senator Mikulski and Senator Cardin for their support in bringing this Facility to Queen Anne's County.”
“I think that it is a great thing for the businesses in Queen Anne's and surrounding counties,” said Tracy Schultz, owner of the Fisherman’s Inn restaurant in Grasonville. “This county needs this type of economic growth to help the existing businesses prosper and to help with the creation of new jobs.”
Under the new agreement, the State Department will buy 2,000- acres of land in Queen Anne’s County to build a Diplomatic Training facility. Up to 1,250 acres may be developed. The Foreign Affairs Security Training Center will consolidate training that is currently spread across nineteen separate facilities. The next step in this process is negotiations between the GSA and owners of the property for the acquisition of the property.
“This facility will open many new doors for business and commerce right here in Queen Anne’s county. It is a job creator and a revenue generator, and we have the efforts of Rep. Kratovil to thank for that,” said Gene Ransom, President of the Queen Anne’s County Commissioners.
“We appreciate all of Congressman Kratovil's efforts to bring opportunities to the Eastern Shore in these difficult economic times,” said Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Courtney M. Billups.
Prior to the agreement, the State Department and GSA had been considering several sites throughout the region to house the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center. Congressman Kratovil fought hard to bring the building to the site in Queen Anne’s County, petitioning both the GSA and the State Department in support of the county’s bid for the facility. To read Congressman Kratovil’s letter in support of the Queen Anne’s site, click here.
The GSA has also announced their intention to hold a public hearing/comment period to give Queen Anne’s County residents an opportunity to voice their ideas and concerns about the facility. More information will be released when it becomes available.
Additional information about this project can be found here.
6 comments:
So what will this be reported as? 1250 jobs "created or saved" today instead of ???
Beware of the ARRA hooks that get stuck in the gut of the contractors...Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wages are Union Rates, not Delmarva rates and the Buy America Act which brings even mores costs into a project!
500 jobs is 500 more jobs than we have right now. While I am not crazy about the ARRA, if it HAD to go through at least we are going to have something to show for it.
Not like O'Malley isn't trying to shaft the shore at every single turn--so I'll take what we can get.
We need this facility and thank goodness we have one representative in office from the shore who can use some clout-the Drs of No who we send to the state house and senate do not know how to negotiate ANYthing to help keep kids from the Shore in jobs on the Shore. THANKS MR KRATOVIL
Someone has to be a complete moron if they think this is a good idea. Remember folks all the government does is take money from you and I and then give it to someone else. This is an out and out attempt by Frank to change the demographics of QAC. He has just brought 500 new voters into that county that are ready made democrats that will put there mouth on the nipple of government and vote democrat forever. Only the dimmest of progressive fools wouldn't see this for what it is.
All of you need to get this through you cattle like pea brains.
Government jobs don't do anything to solve the problem. We have to change our way of thinking. The government shouldn't even be allowed to call what they do job creation. The term government JOB should be called taxpayer cost unit, or city cost unit, or county cost unit. That's what you people are, little tiny hoover machines sucking of the filthy teet of government largesse, subsisting on the fetid milk from a regurgitated treasury.
Kudos to Kratovil, Cardin and Mikulski! Queen Anne's County needs this kind of development, which will add hundreds of local jobs, peripheral monies during its operational phase, and, a highly regarded center of operations which will add tremendously to the image of our county...hurrah to our legislators for this tremendous accomplishment!
PS: I'll bet O'Malley had a hand in this too...he loves the eastern shore!
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