It’s a Bird
It’s A Plane
It’s a Drone…carrying a shovel?!? And it was AMAZING!
Last week, the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders and dignitaries celebrated the official Groundbreaking of a new Tech Village at Cape May County Airport. Not a single detail was overlooked. The $6.2 million, 20,000-square-foot complex in the first phase of what will include three buildings to serve as an innovation hub for tech businesses and advance the goal of growing year-round economy which offers skilled/well-compensated jobs for residents in the County and region. Triad Associates secured a record $3 Million grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration representing almost half the facility’s cost. According to Cape May County Freeholder Will Morey, this project represents “the start of a reimagining of Cape May County’s economic future.”
This project is the impetus for expanding economic development beyond tourism and hospitality, which has a major impact on sustainability and growth within the region, to create jobs and opportunities that will attract more people to live, work and play in Cape May County!
It all started when the County identified a unique asset – its airspace – and created strategies to attract Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) business and innovation. Officials have hosted forums and conferences, designed an extensive UAS program and positioned the County as a leader in UAS testing and development. – Cape May County Press Release
The Tech Village represents the realization of over four years of a concerted effort on the part of the Cape May County Freeholder Board to develop a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the County based around the UAS industry and related technologies. Additionally, the Tech Village will complement the collaborative efforts between the County and the DRBA to attract and grow small businesses at the airport.
The County of Cape May is invested in the success of this project and its impact on the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and Technology sectors as a means to diversify and grow the County’s economy. The Tech Village’s “synergistic environment” is designed to attract and accommodate the needs of tech companies seeking facilities for research, design, testing, and manufacture of various communication, UAS, aviation and other technologies at the airport. The goal is to retain and attract high paying technically skilled job opportunities and to promote the retention and expansion of current industries as well as attract new local and global industries.
Stay Tuned for More Updates as construction gets underway.
