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Elevate Southwest outlines 60,000 sq ft innovation hub, spaceport goals and job projections for Greater Yuma
Summary
Elevate Southwest asked county supervisors to support an innovation hub and outlined target sectors (AgTech, aerospace/defense, clean energy, biomedicine), a 60,000 sq ft facility concept, projected job creation and ongoing grant pursuits including a proposed $20M energy project and a $160M spaceport effort.
Jerry Cabrera, president and CEO of Elevate Southwest, briefed the Board of Supervisors on Jan. 22 about a regional economic development strategy and a proposed innovation hub intended to attract startups and expansion in targeted sectors including AgTech, aerospace and defense, clean energy, biomedicine, AI/advanced manufacturing and transport/logistics.
Cabrera said the innovation hub concept envisions a 60,000-square-foot facility (one wing could become phase two) with lab space, entrepreneurship resources, academic partnerships and workforce internships. He said the hub would focus on AgTech, aerospace/defense (including Yuma Proving Ground and MCAS), storage-battery technologies, biomedicine and cross-cutting areas such as AI and advanced manufacturing.
Cabrera cited workforce and branding gaps in the region and said community and education partners (Arizona Western College, NAU and other institutions) are already engaged. He reported current initiatives including paid internships (listed at $20 per hour in his remarks) and a local company working on a non-lithium flow battery that Cary (sic) planned to hire two to three hundred people once the operation scales.
Cabrera said Elevate Southwest is pursuing grants and investments the presentation listed as a $20 million energy-related project using border infrastructure and a $160 million spaceport commercialization program over the next 10 years. He said the spaceport effort involves partnerships with Yuma Proving Ground, UArizona, NAU and other agencies and that a submission was expected within weeks.
Board members asked about overlap with existing organizations (Cabrera said the group coordinates with GYDC and other local economic organizations and that key principals sit on multiple boards) and about property conveyances (Cabrera deferred to the City of Yuma on specific rail conveyance discussions). He also shared projected economic impacts Elevate Southwest provided for the hub: construction jobs (about 310) and cumulative operational job growth and tax and household-spending projections across a 15-year horizon as part of the hub/zone model.
Cabrera concluded by offering renderings and a short promotional video; staff confirmed the board had copies of the materials.
No formal board action was taken on Jan. 22; the presentation was informational and supervisors asked staff to continue coordinating with the organization and local stakeholders.
