Cheyenne, Wyo – The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) Board of Directors recommended two Business Ready Community (BRC) grant and loan funding requests during its regular quarterly meeting in Rock Springs on Sept. 8, 2022.
Other business conducted at the meeting included a presentation from Wyoming Main Street; review and approval of a contract with the Wyoming Women’s Business Center for $246,616.00 which runs from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2024; review and approval of Connect Wyoming program rules; an update on the Pathways to Prosperity project and a presentation of the BRC Annual Report; review of Economic Disaster Loan charge offs; and approval of the first Succession Loan in the amount of $70,000.
The Wyoming Main Street Advisory Board also met in Rock Springs on Sept. 7, 2022, for their regular meeting.
Meeting recordings are available on WBC’s YouTube channel. The WBC board’s next quarterly meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, and will be held virtually. More details will be available on our website prior to the meeting.
BRC projects considered at the Sept. 8 board meeting:
Business Committed
The City of Cody requested a $1 million Business Committed grant to construct a 16,000-square foot facility for the expansion of Wyoming Legacy Meats. The facility will be located on a 7.6-acre parcel owned by Forward Cody. All infrastructure is at the site.
The board unanimously recommended this request.
The City of Laramie requested a $20 million Business Committed grant to construct an approximately 60,000-square foot research and development facility for “Project Jupiter”. The facility will be built on 16.35 acres in the Cirrus Sky Technology Park, which is owned by the Laramie Chamber Business Alliance (LCBA).
The board unanimously recommended this request.
Community Project
The Town of Bar Nunn requests a $500,000 Community Project grant to construct a new community center and town hall. While this facility will be one building, the BRC funds will only invest in a portion of the community center.
The board did not recommend this request.
The Meeteetse Joint Powers Board requests a $750,000 Community Project grant to construct a 6,600-square foot community center. This community center will be located on a Meeteetse Recreation District-owned lot.
The board did not recommend this request.
ABOUT THE BUSINESS READY COMMUNITY GRANT & LOAN PROGRAM
The Wyoming Business Council administers the Business Ready Community (BRC) grant and loan program, which provides financing for publicly owned infrastructure that serves the needs of businesses and promotes economic development within Wyoming communities. Council staff thoroughly review and vet each application, conduct in-person or virtual site visits, and present to a board subcommittee prior to making recommendations to the full board.
The Business Council board is required by statute to forward BRC grant and loan recommendations to the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) for final approval. The SLIB is comprised of the five statewide elected officials: the governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, and state superintendent of public instruction.
SLIB will make final decisions on BRC project requests at its 8 a.m. meeting on Oct. 6.