Colorado officials were concerned that they might lose a new aircraft manufacturing facility to New Mexico or Utah.
An announcement today by Aviation Technology Group is expected to confirm that Colorado will be the site of the plant.
But the question remains: Within Colorado, how did the lesser-developed Front Range Airport beat out Centennial, where ATG is based?
One factor is that Front Range Airport offers a double tax incentive to ATG, which is developing a two-seater private jet that would sell for $2.8 million.
“Front Range has an enterprise zone, which, in and of itself, has its own incentive,” ATG chief executive George Bye said earlier this month.
The state’s enterprise zone program designates economically distressed areas. Among the benefits are a 10 percent job-training tax credit and a 3 percent research-and-development credit.
Separately, a new state aviation development zone incentive that gives income tax credits of up to $2 million to aircraft manufacturers expanding in special areas became effective this month.
The incentives “actually combine in that particular location,” Bye said, referring to Front Range Airport, based in Adams County.
Other airports, such as Centennial, can offer aviation development zone incentives, but Centennial is not in an enterprise zone.
Centennial has not commented about ATG’s decision.
Centennial, like Front Range, is a general aviation airport with no scheduled airline service. Centennial, one of the nation’s busiest facilities for small aircraft, is south of the Denver Tech Center in unincorporated Arapahoe County.
Front Range is close to Denver International Airport and next to a master planned project for air, rail and highway transportation.
The Emily Griffith Opportunity School, which has an aviation maintenance and technology program at Front Range Airport, could be one of ATG’s beneficiaries.
Brad Vickers, director of administrative services for Emily Griffith, said a ramp-up of as many as 300 employees at Front Range is “an incredible opportunity for any of our graduates going into the field to be able to go right there.”
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi can be reached at 303-820-1488 or kyamanouchi @denverpost.com
