Council Bluffs offers River's Edge or Iowa Western Community College as potential locations. It has a larger metro to draw workers from and the Omaha airport has more flights than the Des Moines airport for commuters coming from the D.C. area. Durham says they wanted Council Bluffs to have an opportunity to match up against Omaha because she expects most states to apply for the ERS and NIFA headquarters.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture worked alongside the city proposals, Secretary Mike Naig says he can't think of a better place for USDA research.
Naig says, "I think it makes perfect sense for them to be in Iowa. Closer to the stakeholders, closer to our farmers, closer to our businesses. And I think we've put together a very good proposal from Ames and Council Bluffs in particular. We're hopeful we can have a chance to attract those two entities."
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue wants to move the ERS and NIFA by the end of 2019.
EDIT: Maybe this belongs in rumors or general until the final site is determined.
Council Bluffs offers River's Edge or Iowa Western Community College as potential locations. It has a larger metro to draw workers from and the Omaha airport has more flights than the Des Moines airport for commuters coming from the D.C. area. Durham says they wanted Council Bluffs to have an opportunity to match up against Omaha because she expects most states to apply for the ERS and NIFA headquarters.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture worked alongside the city proposals, Secretary Mike Naig says he can't think of a better place for USDA research.
Naig says, "I think it makes perfect sense for them to be in Iowa. Closer to the stakeholders, closer to our farmers, closer to our businesses. And I think we've put together a very good proposal from Ames and Council Bluffs in particular. We're hopeful we can have a chance to attract those two entities."
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue wants to move the ERS and NIFA by the end of 2019.
EDIT: Maybe this belongs in rumors or general until the final site is determined.
They mention River's Edge as a possible site in CB. I know it is still unknown how many employees will be moved, but does River's Edge have office space to absorb that kind of tenant? I thought they currently have one office building up with much of it occupied. Is there another office building in the works?
Additionally, I do hope that if CB gets the offices are located in the River's Edge, only to show Omaha and its developments and prospectors that "if you build it, they will come."
Another article said the two agencies employ 600-700 people. It mentioned a SF number too, but I can't find it right now. Would be a huge coup for the metro, but there are over 100 bids nationwide so it is very competitive.
Council Bluffs offers River's Edge or Iowa Western Community College as potential locations. It has a larger metro to draw workers from and the Omaha airport has more flights than the Des Moines airport for commuters coming from the D.C. area. Durham says they wanted Council Bluffs to have an opportunity to match up against Omaha because she expects most states to apply for the ERS and NIFA headquarters.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture worked alongside the city proposals, Secretary Mike Naig says he can't think of a better place for USDA research.
Naig says, "I think it makes perfect sense for them to be in Iowa. Closer to the stakeholders, closer to our farmers, closer to our businesses. And I think we've put together a very good proposal from Ames and Council Bluffs in particular. We're hopeful we can have a chance to attract those two entities."
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue wants to move the ERS and NIFA by the end of 2019.
EDIT: Maybe this belongs in rumors or general until the final site is determined.
They mention River's Edge as a possible site in CB. I know it is still unknown how many employees will be moved, but does River's Edge have office space to absorb that kind of tenant? I thought they currently have one office building up with much of it occupied. Is there another office building in the works?
Additionally, I do hope that if CB gets the offices are located in the River's Edge, only to show Omaha and its developments and prospectors that "if you build it, they will come."
It would be awesome if CB landed this. If it comes to the region my money is on Ames and (ISU).
iamjacobm wrote: Thu Oct 25, 2018 10:12 am
Another article said the two agencies employ 600-700 people. It mentioned a SF number too, but I can't find it right now. Would be a huge coup for the metro, but there are over 100 bids nationwide so it is very competitive.
That would be huge. But yeah, just as the Toyota and Amazon deals, we are a bit small. However, due to the nature of this potential move, Iowa and Nebraska have a greater chance. With Toyota, we didn't have the parts supply chain and industrial sites in place. With Amazon, the Metro did not meet several of the prerequisites. With both, we lacked the ready workforce. We have the potential with this move due to it being a move without need for many local employees and our metro being a agri-business hub. However, I do agree with Greg, that due to the nature of the departments moving, Ames would be a more likely candidate. But crossing my fingers that we are on the short list once they whittle it down.
That's a good update. However, competition is stiff. It is interesting that the applicants for Omaha are commercial entities. I am assuming SPW Partners is not a public one; who are they by the way. Lincoln, Council Bluffs, and Des Moines's listed applicants are government/public agencies.
OmahaJaysCU wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:26 am
The Omaha entity is one partnership. SPW is South Port West. G&S and CBRE Mega are all involved in that development so it makes sense.
Thanks for the clarification. That would be a good spot for it, but I was hoping that if we get it, it would be downtown.
OmahaJaysCU wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:26 am
The Omaha entity is one partnership. SPW is South Port West. G&S and CBRE Mega are all involved in that development so it makes sense.
Thanks for the clarification. That would be a good spot for it, but I was hoping that if we get it, it would be downtown.
Downtown offers the advantage of being close to Eppley, but it is a parking hassle, a longer commute from where the RELO people sell homes to the USDA crew coming in (basically from the east border of MPS to the Elkhorn river). Land is cheaper in west Omaha, and the resultant building will have better employee satisfaction scores given the 20 minute shorter commute each way and the easier parking.
Employees turn their back on Agriculture secretary over being relocated to Kansas City
Employees from two Department of Agriculture research agencies stood and turned their backs to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue at an all-hands meeting Thursday to silently protest a decision to relocate the agencies halfway across the country.
Perdue announced earlier Thursday morning that the Economic Research Service, which provides research and statistical analysis for lawmakers, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which allocates federal research funding, will be relocated to Kansas City from Washington, DC, the final announcement in a process that began last year.
Uffda wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:49 amEmployees turn their back on Agriculture secretary over being relocated to Kansas City
Employees from two Department of Agriculture research agencies stood and turned their backs to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue at an all-hands meeting Thursday to silently protest a decision to relocate the agencies halfway across the country.
Perdue announced earlier Thursday morning that the Economic Research Service, which provides research and statistical analysis for lawmakers, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which allocates federal research funding, will be relocated to Kansas City from Washington, DC, the final announcement in a process that began last year.
There were several articles about this today. Good move on the Dept of Ag. Frankly, the entire Ag dept as well as the Mint, BIA, BLM, Dept of Interior, Dep of Education, and the SEC should be out of DC and scattered about the nation.
bigredmed1 wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 12:42 pm
There were several articles about this today. Good move on the Dept of Ag. Frankly, the entire Ag dept as well as the Mint, BIA, BLM, Dept of Interior, Dep of Education, and the SEC should be out of DC and scattered about the nation.
Couldn't agree more. Of the finalists I'm really glad KC won. St Louis would have been great as well.
Update on this controversial move; 2/3 of the employees have refused to relocate. If anything, it will bring job opportunities for KC, but experts are concerned about the effects of some much staff quitting.
ita wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 11:48 am
Update on this controversial move; 2/3 of the employees have refused to relocate. If anything, it will bring job opportunities for KC, but experts are concerned about the effects of some much staff quitting.
There was concern about the viability of these sections. Honestly, I think there will be a drop in the short term, but given MO, KSU, NU, and ISU all within a short drive to KC, one would think that the pipeline of competent grads and faculty moving into government employment or consultancies would bring it back pretty fast.
The employees would have to have their lives disrupted, but then so would the private sector equivalents. Sorry, but they were given relo packages and lots of notice. They could easily get their homes ready to sell and start a job hunt for the spouse. Granted that the school mess in KCMO means that they either put the USDA in Kansas or they move to a county not under the thumb of their school mess consent decree in MO. I would not want to buy until I knew where the office was going to be located as I would want to be anywhere but KCMO for public schools.
Despite any downfalls of one site selection over another, getting bureaucrats out of Washington and into the actual service areas can only be a good thing.
Wow! 10 years to recover??? That's terrible! It looks like somebody messed this up big time. Why not have 2 locations and simply fill open positions in KC instead of DC? Wow, what a disaster. And ones who are hurt are the farmers who benefit from the research these agencies do. So sad
Omahacritic wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2019 10:45 pm
When employees start talking about housing and such, resistance will fade.
From someone I know that was impacted by this they had until July 15 to accept or decline the relocation and accept the severance. Not 100% sure that this is for all areas relocating but I know it was for a larger portion. If they have not said "relocate" by now it is not an option any more.
For the record NEBUGEATER does not equal BUGEATER !!!!!!!
