The Colorado Economic Development Commission on Thursday approved $11.7 million in incentives with the potential to bring or retain 651 jobs in the state.
One employer, a big four accounting firm, said it was considering Denver, along with Atlanta and Dallas, for a center to design and implement technology systems for its clients.
The request, code named Project Bluesky, sought more than $5 million in job growth incentive tax credits in return for bringing 290 jobs to Denver paying an average wage of $86,500. The accounting and consulting firm said it is looking to lease 20,000 square feet of office space and make $3.9 million in capital improvements.
A regional technology company specializing in storage solutions asked and was approved for $6 million in incentives in return for bringing 262 jobs.
The unnamed company is also considering California and Texas as possible locations. The company expects to pay an average wage of $108,504 a year, an amount high enough that it could use its growth incentive tax credits in any county in the state.
A third job growth incentive award went to Myco Technology, which sought $361,741 in credits in return for retaining 43 jobs in Aurora. The company holds several patents tied to using fungi, basically mushrooms, to remove bitterness from a variety of food items, which reduces the amount of sugar and artificial sweeteners added.
Myco said it is also looking at Albuquerque. The commission made its award contingent on a successful fundraising effort by the startup.
The incentives are paid in the form of a rebate of a portion of payroll taxes only after a job is created and retained for a full year.
The commission also approved a $280,000 award out of the state’s strategic fund for Mayfly Outdoors of Montrose. The money is designed to lure 56 manufacturing jobs from a Mayfly subsidiary to the area instead of Texas, Utah or Arizona. Montrose is pitching in $635,000 of local incentives to win the jobs, which will pay just shy of $46,000 a year on average.
“For Montrose, 56 jobs is a really big deal,” said Ken Lund, the state’s economic development director.
The commission agreed to award an extra $88,000 in state film spending rebates to “Christmastime,” a film by Michael Landon Jr., to reflect a boost in spending.
The production, , initially expected to hire 75 in the state and spend $2.5 million to film in Denver. But after getting here, the payroll went up to 88 and spending to $2.9 million, said Lauren Sloan, the state’s deputy film commissioner.
Sloan said San Miguel county commissioners are meeting next Thursday to resolve easement issues so set construction on the Schmid Ranch can move forward for .”
Aldo Svaldi: 303-954-1410, asvaldi@denverpost.com or twitter.com/aldosvaldi
