Pima County Economic Development Plan, 2018

Pima County Economic Development Plan pima.gov/economicdevelopmentplan UPDATE THROUGH 2018 s a component of Pima County’s ongo- plan also recommends fostering a collaborative ing efforts to promote economic devel- environment in which the private sector, local A opment, job growth, higher wages and governments, educational institutions and increased wealth within our region, we have nonprofit organizations work together to stabi- updated the Pima County Economic Devel- lize and expand the local economy. ey areas opment Plan through 2018. This plan is an where such collaboration can reap significant outgrowth of the previous economic develop- rewards for the community include education/ ment plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors workforce development and combating poverty. in August 2016. The Economic Development Plan update The recommendations and action steps pre- through 2018 is designed to guide the County’s sented in this updated plan are ones the investments and policy actions to grow the local County can take in the near term to provide a economy, increase jobs and income, and in- foundation for long-term economic growth and crease overall community wealth. The plan con- stability. The plan will be continuously revised sists of 14 chapters, each of which focuses on an and updated to maximize a steady and pro- area of economic development and job creation/ longed recovery in the community’s economic growth where the County can lead, directly conditions; including increasing the number affect and/or influence progress and outcomes. of jobs available, increasing the average wage, These 14 chapters are shown on the opposite compensation and benefits – particularly for page and are comprehensively discussed in the new jobs in the region – and increasing the plan, which may be viewed in its entirety at positive economic outcomes of tourism. The pima.gov/economicdevelopmentplan P rep a red y A d o p t ed y Chuck Huckelberry the Pima County Board of Supervisors Pima County Administrator on November 22, 2016 UPDATE THROUGH 2018 Pima County Economic Development Plan Board of Supervisors Sharon Bronson, Chair, District 3 Ally Miller, District 1 Ramón Valadez, District 2 Raymond J. Carroll, District 4 Richard Elías, District 5 Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry Table of Contents Chapter 1: Primary Job Center Development Chapter 2: Regional Infrastructure Investment for Job Creation Chapter 3: Protecting Our Existing Major Employment Base Chapter 4: Logistics Center at Tucson International Airport Environs; Pima County as the Logistics Hub of the Southwest Chapter 5: Leveraging the Intellectual Capacity of the University and Community College Systems in Arizona Chapter 6: Promoting Tourism Chapter 7: Mining - Modernizing a Traditional Industry Chapter 8: Enhancing Our Relationship with Mexico Chapter 9: Enhancing Our Relationship with Canada Chapter 10: Enhancing Our Relationship with East Asia and The Republic of Korea Chapter 11: Downtown Enhancement Chapter 12: Job Training and Employment Base Development Chapter 13: The Role of Economic Development in Ending Poverty Chapter 14: Investing for an Economically Competitive Future Pima County Economic Development Plan UPDATE THROUGH 2018 Chapter 1 Primary Job Center Development Pima County Economic Development Plan UPDATE THROUGH 2018 Chapter 1 Pima County Economic Development Plan UPDATE THROUGH 2018 he County is developing a number the County. Raytheon is our largest private of proposals to make available shov- employer; hence, the County has taken steps to T el-ready primary employment center buffer Raytheon operations by both relocating sites. These sites would be available for sale or Hughes Access Road and by acquiring buffer lease to new primary employers or for expand- lands that could be utilized for Raytheon if ing primary employment within the County. they chose to expand their operations. These They are all County-owned properties that actions allow existing Raytheon operations to could be used for employment centers. The continue without receiving waivers from the locations discussed in this chapter are under United States Air Force (USAF) for certain active consideration. activities. The actions substantially buffer Raytheon from any adverse encroachment that A. Raytheon Buer would threaten or diminish its operational flexibility. One of the priorities in the County adopted Economic Development Action Plan is to The Raytheon buffer is comprised of two protect the existing employment base within components, the first being the buffer related VALENCIA RD. Arizona Air National Guard TUCSON BLVD. LOS REALES RD. Tucson International Airport RAYTHEON BUFFER/ WAY ALVERNON AEROSPACE PARKWAY HWY. NOGALES Raytheon Pima County purchased land south of Raytheon HUGHES ACCESS ROAD, ABANDONED and relocated Buer for Existing Facilities Hughes Access Space Port Road south to Tucson Buer for Future Facilities give Raytheon and Tucson AEROSPACE PARKWAY International Vector Space World View Aerospace, Defense and Technology Airport room to Systems Enterprises Research and Business Park expand. OLD VAIL CONNECTION RD. UPDATE THROUGH 2018 Pima County Economic Development Plan chapter 1 | 1 to existing operations and its existing facilities. line. The planned uses would be for primary This buffer will be acquired in a land exchange employment, with preference given to aero- agreement between the Tucson Airport Au- space and defense industry-related firms that thority (TAA) and the USAF and would extend are compatible with the adjacent landowners, approximately 800 feet south of the existing Raytheon and TIA. In total, the Park would be Hughes Access Road alignment. This buffer is approximately 2,800 acres of land held in trust approximately 130 acres of land now owned by by the State or owned by Pima County or the the TAA. TAA. The site’s proximity to the new proposed auxiliary interstate highway, also known as the The second buffer is larger, consisting of ap- Sonoran Corridor and discussed in Chapter 2, proximately 270 acres of land that would allow makes the property an ideal location for future displaced Raytheon facilities to be relocated. primary employment sites that complement In addition, the expanded buffer would allow existing aerospace, manufacturing and high- Raytheon to construct additional final assem- tech employment within the corridor. bly and checkout facilities to expand operations. This second buffer will be acquired by To advance development of the Park, the Aero- the City of Tucson using an annexation fund space Parkway (the relocated Hughes Access previously established by the City as an incen- Road) was completed in 2015. In addition, tive for Raytheon to annex into the City. advance planning and implementation of major utility extensions for wastewater and water The buffer for Raytheon production expansion services have been completed by the County will be transferred upon completion of an on- and City. Business development of the proper- going Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) ty for defense and technology manufacturing for the second runway at Tucson International will be possible with surface transportation Airport (TIA). Completion of the EIS is sched- access, as well as major utility connections, uled for September 2018. including water, sewer, electric and communi- cation systems. A portion of the expanded buffer is also planned for an Air National Guard munitions Active land use planning for the County’s near- storage area which would allow the current ly 500-acre property began in the latter part of 162nd Arizona Air National Guard Pilot Train- 2015. ing Program to continue and expand at TIA. The first occupant of the Aerospace, Defense B. Aerospace, Defense and Technology and Technology Business and Research Park is Business and Research Park World View Enterprises. Their manufacturing and headquarters facility is located on 12 acres To eliminate potentially adverse residential adjacent to the Aerospace Parkway and Ray- encroachment on Raytheon, the County pur- theon Parkway. World View plans to launch chased approximately 382 acres at a cost of high-altitude balloons that can perform some $5.9 million from private developers who were functions that normally require satellites, but attempting to build residential development at substantially less cost. The balloons, known adjacent to the south boundary of Raytheon. as stratollites, are the first foray into commer- These 382 acres of County-owned property, cial activity in the Earth’s stratosphere. as well as 97 acres owned by the County for many years and adjacent TAA-owned lands, When fully operational, World View will em- are being developed as an Aerospace, Defense ploy 500 employees and manufacture balloons and Technology Business and Research Park carrying scientific payloads. (the Park). The lands will have transportation access from the relocated Hughes Access In addition, SpacePort Tucson is being con- Road, now known as the Aerospace Parkway, structed near World View’s manufacturing as well as planned rail access from the Nogales site. SpacePort Tucson will be the first licensed 2 | chapter 1 Pima County Economic Development Plan UPDATE THROUGH 2018 Vector Space Systems leased County-owned property in the Aerospace, Defense and Technology Business and Research Park where it plans to manufacture small-scale launch vehicles to carry micro satellites to orbit. spaceport in Arizona and will be owned by these companies are on the cutting edge of the Pima County and operated

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