Quality Jobs Act Fuels Tinker Expansion

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The U.S. Air Force officially took possession of the former BNSF rail yard next to Tinker Air Force Base today as part of its plan to expand the base with a new repair facility. The purchase was facilitated by the passage last year of House Bill 1416 which allows Quality Jobs payments to go to a local entity, rather than the federal government, to help offset the cost of expansion.

“This is yet another example of how economic development programs result in jobs and capital investment in Oklahoma which otherwise would not have happened,” said State Chamber President & CEO Fred Morgan. “We are very happy to have been part of the coalition that advocated for this policy change last year.”

The purchase of the 158-acre site was a joint effort of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County and the Air Force with assistance from Oklahoma’s federal delegation. The Quality Jobs payments which would have gone to the Air Force will now go to the city and county to pay back their portion of the $44-million purchase price. The land will be used for repair facilities for the Air Force’s new KC-46 aerial refueling aircraft. That facility is expected to bring over 1,300 new jobs to Oklahoma.


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