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The Colorado Economic Development Commission on Thursday, Nov. 15 approved North Metro Enterprise Zone Contribution Project designation for the Front Range Community College Center for Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). Enterprise Zone Contribution Projects encourage community participation and public-private partnerships resulting in job creation/retention and business expansion to revitalize Enterprise Zone areas. Colorado taxpayers making financial contributions to these projects earn tax credits by contributing to these targeted efforts.
The Front Range Community College (FRCC) Foundation applied for this designation to support its “Manufacturing our Future” campaign, which seeks to raise $2 million in funding from individuals and key community and industry allies. These funds will be used to purchase and install the training equipment necessary for programs to educate and train skilled workers in industrial maintenance, automation, optics, and engineering technology. Classes will be offered at FRCC’s new CIM facility, which is expected to open in August 2019. The college is investing $6.2 million over 10 years to renovate and lease a 27,000-square-foot building in Longmont’s designated North Metro Enterprise Zone area to house the CIM. Many local manufacturing businesses are located nearby, and are in need of a qualified workforce.
“The Center for Integrated Manufacturing Enterprise Zone Contribution Project designation represents a unique opportunity to support a community college center envisioned by employers that will assist in the future workforce development of the Northern Colorado manufacturing industry,” stated FRCC Boulder County Campus Vice President, Elena Sandoval-Lucero, on receiving news of their approval for the designation.
As the North Metro Enterprise Zone administrator, the role of the Longmont Economic Development Partnership (EDP) is to implement the North Metro EZ economic development plan, determining which projects are aligned with the economic development plan, getting the necessary support of the community, supporting the project organization through the application process, and bringing projects to the Colorado Economic Development Commission for consideration.
Regarding Longmont EDP’s support for the FRCC CIM project’s successful application, Longmont EDP president and CEO Jessica Erickson stated, “One of the goals of the North Metro EZ is to align education and training with industry needs to support workforce development and the attraction of new and expanding primary job creating businesses. The FRCC CIM Project clearly contributes to this goal, already having significant community and industry support to ensure their success.”
Erickson continued, “This is the exactly the type of project this designation is intended to support, and I couldn’t be prouder to have been part of their successful application for designation.”
FRCC CIM Contribution Project designation is effective immediately. Individuals interested in learning more about the funding campaign can go to www.frontrange.edu/cim or contact FRCC Foundation executive director Ryan McCoy directly at [email protected].
Editorial from Macie May–Thankful
There is much more that I am thankful for this year though. One of those things is you, our readers, our members and our sponsors. Your contributions and faith in us has let us move into our own office space. Thank you all for your unrelenting support. Continue reading.
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Community Discusses Possible Homeless Shelter
About 50 people squeezed into the fellowship hall of Longs Peak United Methodist Church Monday to talk about a possible year-round overnight center for people in Longmont experiencing homelessness. The event was moderated by Jake Marsing, chairman of The Way Home, a new homeless advocacy group. “We are concerned,” he said, “that the people of Longmont are not getting the services they need.” Learn more.
Longmont Photos of the Week: Thanksgiving
Longmont residents are invited to submit their photos to the Longmont Photos of the Week by emailing them to [email protected]. This week several Longmont Observer volunteers shared photos of their Thanksgiving celebrations.
Talk With The Mayor – Episode 8
In today’s episode, the Mayor talks about his thoughts on the election, Nexlight, tiny homes and homeless vets, a possible cultural and performing arts center as well as a potential swimming and hockey center, encrypted police radios, forced annexation of county enclaves, airports and responsibilities around a recent skydivers death, the activity around the main street corridor plan and some random topics (as is usually the case with conversations like this). Listen here.
