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City Council Approves Funding For ST Aerospace Deal

City of Pensacola

The Pensacola City Council Thursday evening gave unanimous approval to an interlocal agreement with the Escambia County Commission, to help bring ST Aerospace and its 300 jobs to Pensacola International Airport. 

 
The Council vote was 8-0 with Councilman Brian Spencer absent. Beforehand, City Administrator Colleen Castille said that Escambia County would provide eight million dollars for the project formerly known as “Project Stallion” – $3.2 million of that in the form of a loan to the city that will be repaid by the end of 2019.
 
Another provision of the agreement is that the city will assist ST Aerospace in pursuing workforce development opportunities – including a new tech center at Pensacola State College to teach STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
 
 
Add to that $450,000 dollars for customized industry training through the “Quick Response Training Program” operated by the group Workforce Florida. 
 
With the City Council’s approval of the interlocal agreement, all that is left is the Escambia County Commission’s vote, scheduled for March 6. Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson addressed the Council, and said workforce training is a common concern between the two elected bodies. 
 
The City Council also gave unanimous approval to a resolution supporting the award to “Project Stallion” of a State of Florida Qualified Target Industry Tax refund of three thousand dollars per net new Florida full-time equivalent job created, and six thousand per job in an Enterprise Zone or county.