Is growth on northcentral Montana horizon?

If you live in Great Falls, you may feel the earth shifting a bit.

We’re finally tilting off the old axis of gloom about the lackadaisical economy and dearth of decent jobs.

EDITORIALS

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20041003/opinion/1347178.html

It’s a gradual shift, but you can’t miss it.

Think power plant, malting barley plant, hospital expansion and airport development.

As they come to fruition, we’ll see better paying jobs, an expanded tax base and maybe even a small growth spurt for the city.

Most of us are happy to veer off in that direction.

Tally the projects in the works, and you get a pretty impressive list:

# Early design work is under way for the 250-megawatt coal-fired power generating plant planned near Great Falls.

The $450 million plant would employ 350 to 450 during construction and some 65 to 75 full-time employees when operating. If built as planned, it could become the county’s largest taxpayer at nearly $7 million a year.

# Construction on a $70 million malting barley plant is in full swing north of town. Expected to begin operation next spring, the plant will employ about 35 people and will purchase barley from area producers.

# Some 25 workers are being hired now in the start-up phase of a new medical claims processing office in Great Falls. Centene expects to build a 50,000-square-foot office and have at least 250 employees in the next five years.

# Benefis Healthcare unveiled plans for $105 million in expansion and renovation in the next six years, including $20 million for a cancer center, new private patient rooms and creation of a heart institute. The hospital has more than 2,400 employees now and says more hiring is likely.

# The Great Falls Clinic is building a $20 million medical specialty building. Anticipated hiring eventually could add $10 million to its local payroll.

# In 2006 Great Falls International Airport gets a $29 million runway upgrade, which will allow planes to take off and land in all kinds of weather. That, along with efforts to improve infrastructure and make the entire 2,400 acres of the airport a Foreign Trade Zone, is designed to spur interest in the airport as a major cargo hub.

# Great Falls is the site selected for a federal homeland security-related customs and immigration base that eventually could employ 70 people. It is likely to be housed either at the airport or Malmstrom Air Force Base.

Also in the works are several projects in earlier stages of development. Among them:

# The city and the Great Falls Development Authority are coordinating efforts to create a medical technology park near the Centene campus southwest of Benefis. The intent is to recruit other medical-related businesses to the complex.

# The area adjoining the malting barley plant is being developed to attract other agricultural processing businesses.

# GFDA and the city are working with landowners to redevelop the property near West Bank Park into a more dynamic retail or business area.

# The city proposes annexing the residential portions of Malmstrom into the city limits. The move would boost the city’s population. More important, it’s part of a larger strategy to entice new or expanded missions to Malmstrom.

All of these projects require massive amounts of planning and detail work, not to mention the recruiting of businesses and employees.

We’re grateful to the GFDA — and all the businesses whose contributions fund it — and the city for spearheading many of these efforts. Likewise airport officials and community members who volunteer on public boards are helping.

We also appreciate the investments existing businesses, such as Benefis and the Clinic, are making in Great Falls.

Now just watch your footing and hold on as Great Falls finally tilts toward growth.