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Commission approves more items related to Project Ranger
This screenshot shows the general area Sandoval County has secured land for in an effort to secure the potential 1,000-acre rocket motor production facility from Castelion Corporation out of California.
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BERNALILLO — The puzzle pieces are connecting slowly for Sandoval County as it contends for a 1,000-acre rocket motor production facility to root itself on county soil.
The Sandoval County Commission unanimously approved leases and a notice of intent for Project Ranger at a regular meeting Sept. 24.
According to documents provided to the commission and a previous release from the New Mexico Economic Development Department, the proposed facility would produce next-generation hypersonic systems. The initial capital investment would be $101 million with employment of up to 300 engineers, technicians and executives with and average salary of $100,000 per year.
Sandoval County is one of three locations being considered for the project, with the other two being out of state, though they were not disclosed by Castelion representatives.
Additionally, the project, if Sandoval County is selected, is projected to generate more than $659 million in economic output statewide over the next decade and has the potential to grow to more than 1,000 employees by 2035 with an additional capital investment of up to $150 million.
Jill Sweeny with Taft Law Firm, serving as bond counsel for the county, first presented three resolutions approving one lease between the county and the state land office as well as a lease and sublease between the county and the Castelion Corporation, the company developing Project Ranger.
Sweeny said that the first lease just extends the current SLO lease to 40 years from the remaining 20 years.
The sublease with Castelion is for 30 years and allows the site to be developed and operated for economic development purposes, according to Sweeny. It further allows, with consent of the county attorney, any changes required by the State Land Office, Castelion or the county.
The last lease, also for 30 years, allows the site to be developed and operated for economic development purposes. The resolution also instructs the county manager to submit the new lease to the State Board of Finance for approval. It further allows him, with consent of the county attorney, to make any changes required for State Board of Finance approval.
The last item on the agenda, the notice of intent ordinance, would state that the county intends allow municipalities to assist in the project. The county in this instance would form intergovernmental agreements with the city of Rio Rancho and the state, which would all provide assistance via the Local Economic Development Act.
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“This ordinance would approve the execution of a Project Participation Agreement regulating the provision of LEDA assistance by the county as well as authorize the county to enter into one or more intergovernmental agreements with the city of Rio Rancho and the state of New Mexico to coordinate the different grants provided by each party,” Sweeny explained.
She said all items are “pieces of the puzzle,” meaning these won’t be the last items regarding Project Ranger.
These items came after the commissioners approved millions of dollars in industrial revenue bonds for the project.
It remains to be seen if the county will be home to the project, but if the location is chosen, the facility would sit on unincorporated Rio Rancho Estates land near the future extension of Paseo del Volcan and 29th Avenue, which is west of the Northern Meadows neighborhood. The area, located about three miles from city limits, has no development and the dirt roads are difficult to travel on.
Details of the presented items can be viewed on sandovalcountynm.gov.
