WBC Board of Directors Recommends Three BRC Grants and Loans at Sept. 11 Quarterly Meeting

Laramie, Wyo – The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) Board of Directors held their regular quarterly meeting in Laramie, Wyoming, on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. During the meeting, the board reviewed three Business Ready Community (BRC) grant and loan projects for funding and approved the WBC to enter into a contract with the City of Sundance for the rehabilitation of the Old Stoney project. The board also reviewed and approved several Challenge and Succession loans.

The board and WBC team also hosted a special work session, Shaping Wyoming’s Future: A UW Student Panel, on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at the University of Wyoming College of Business. Recordings of the public meetings are available on the WBC’s YouTube channel.

BRC projects considered at the Sept. 11 meeting:

Business Committed – Mesa Solutions, LLC

• The Town of Evansville requested an $8,964,713 Business Committed grant to develop a 206-acre site which will provide the needed infrastructure to serve the committed business, Mesa Solutions, on 43.8 acres, as well as an additional 162 acres of developable land. Mesa will act as an anchor business planning to construct a 203,000-square-foot facility that will retain 222 jobs and create 261 new positions over five years.
• The board approved waiving the BRC grant maximum rules and recommended funding this project as requested.

Community Readiness – Southwest WY Regional Airport Commercial Terminal Modernization Project

• The Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport Board requested a $2 million Community Readiness grant and a $5 million loan to complete the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport Commercial Terminal Modernization project. The airport board was awarded a $3 million BRC Community Readiness grant in April 2021 for this project. Their increased request follows a series of challenges that have resulted in increased costs and significant delays.
• The board recommended funding the grant and loan request in full with a contingency that if the applicant receives additional funding from other sources, the WBC grant amount will be reduced appropriately.

Community Readiness – High Tech Business Park Phase II

• The Sheridan Economic and Educational Development Authority (SEEDA) requested a $4,426,000 Community Readiness grant to develop Phase II of the Sheridan High-Tech Park. The project would include the purchase of 35 acres, along with the installation of water, sewer, and roadway infrastructure.
• The board recommended funding this project as requested.

The WBC team will present the above projects to the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) for final approval on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.