St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay will be making the trip to Jefferson City Tuesday to testify in favor of tax breaks to lure Boeing Co.'s 777X plant to St. Louis.
The city's top elected official will make the case to a Senate subcommittee that the $150 million in tax credits Gov. Jay Nixon wants to create is a good deal, not just for St. Louis but for all of Missouri.
"This is probably the biggest opportunity for job creation that we've seen in some time," Slay said. "If we can put together a package with St. Louis County and the state and Boeing does accept it, or does something significant there, it will mean a tremendous amount of economic activity that will ripple a long way."
While the Boeing plant would likely be located in north St. Louis County, it would be at or near Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, which is owned and run by the city. Slay said the city has several large pieces land around Lambert that could provide a low-cost location for Boeing to build on.
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State, City, County and Lambert officials have been working closely on the project for a couple of weeks now, Slay said. It is a big early test case for the newly-formed St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, which combined some city and county economic development responsibilities. It's already paying off in a more coordinated approach, Slay said.Â
"Having everybody in the room together is beneficial in and of itself," he said. "Having one team working for one purpose is much more seamless and effective."
A spokeswoman for the Partnership said someone from St. Louis County would also likely testify Wednesday, but was not immediately sure who.
The special session began Monday afternoon to expand state tax credit programs by $150 million for aerospace companies that create 2,000 or more jobs in Missouri. State officials hope to have a bill passed by week's end.
