1st commercial building opens in Hill air base aerospace park

(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) The ICBM Building is the first commercial building developed at Falcon Hill National Aerospace Research Park, a massive business park being developed on the west side of Hill Air Force Base.

Clearfield Utahs top political leaders, developers, a contractor and Air Force brass snipped the ribbon Monday on a new office building, the first of many planned for the massive Falcon Hill National Aerospace Research Park.

The park, visible along Interstate 15 in Clearfield, is being touted as the largest enhanced-use lease project in the Department of Defenses history.

Through such projects, DoD allows a private developer to lease land on base for commercial development, with the promise that the military share in the profits by way of new buildings for its own employees.

In this case, defense contractor Northrop Grumman and its sub-contractors will fill the new five-story structure, dubbed "building 1575," and the Hill Air Force Base (HAFB) team that works with them on the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile program will get a new building next door.

Hill already has a new security forces building and a new West Gate entrance, thanks to revenue from Falcon Hill.

Gov. Gary Herbert on Monday hailed Falcon Hills first commercial building as an example of an "unprecedented partnership" between government and the private sector.

"This is a new model," said Herbert.

Sen. Orrin Hatch and Rep. Rob Bishop, both Republicans involved in persuading the Air Force to give such a project a try, also spoke at the ribbon-cutting.

HAFB will get up to 1.4 million square feet of office space in return for the use of its 550 acres for the park, Hatch said.

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1st commercial building opens in Hill air base aerospace park