This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 11:26 AM- The Defense Department signed a contract today with a private company to create a massive aerospace research park at Hill Air Force Base to be shared by private contractors and military personnel.
Long in the making, political leaders see the Falcon Hill project as a way to capture new military assignments and ward off any potential base closures.
"Falcon Hill will be a huge addition to Utah's aerospace family," Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch said in a statement announcing the lease contract.
Under the agreement, Sunset Ridge Development Partners, a private firm, will finance and build an 8 million square foot park on base land costing $1.5 billion.
The base will receive as much as 1.6 million square feet of free office space, while the rest of the offices will be leased to private companies with military contracts. The government has given Sunset Ridge a 50-year lease.
