Ogden staff outline airport CRA changes and $27.5M incentive package proposed for Williams International expansion

Ogden City staff on Feb. 11 described an amended interlocal agreement with Weber County for the Airport Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) and presented a proposed local incentive package to support a major expansion at Williams International.

Interlocal amendment: Staff told the board that after the airport CRA was adopted in 2023, Weber County raised concerns about the county’s interlocal agreement. The amended agreement approved by the county commission last month would reduce the county’s participation rate from 90% to 75% and restrict the county’s portion of tax increment to infrastructure projects inside the CRA (for example electrical, water, sewer, taxiways and apron). Staff said the CRA base year and base value would remain unchanged and the CRA would still expire in 2047.

Williams International expansion and proposed incentives: Staff described a proposed growth phase (referred to as “mod 7”) by Williams International, the aerospace manufacturer located at the Ogden Airport. According to the presentation Williams would add roughly 100,000 square feet to its campus, create more than 300 jobs and the company’s capital investment related to the expansion would be substantial—staff cited a projection of about $366,000,000 in capital investment by 2030 and said the project could drive more than $1 billion in real and personal property investment over the CRA term. Williams previously expanded in 2020 and added hundreds of jobs after reshoring capacity.

To help address Williams’ reported constraints—especially costly electrical infrastructure upgrades and water‑system limits—staff proposed a local package that would combine post‑performance TIF payments and infrastructure investment. Staff outlined a proposed $27,500,000 local package consisting of a $22,000,000 post‑performance TIF incentive payable to Williams based on actual new property tax revenues and a $5,500,000 city commitment to realign and install a new 24‑inch water line (the waterline investment would not be paid to Williams but would remove an impediment to future expansion). Staff also noted the state has approved Williams for the maximum Economic Development TIF (Ed TIF) available at the state level (staff said that equates to about 30% of new state tax revenues over 20 years). City staff reported a projection that Williams’ local project would generate roughly $31,000,000 in local TIF by the end of the CRA term.

Council discussion and staff responses: Councilors expressed questions about timing and local benefit, noting that most new tax revenue would not flow to the city until the CRA retires or until the project reached the incentive cap. A councilor asked whether new employees would be encouraged to live in Ogden; staff described workforce development commitments Williams has made (including training partnerships with OTEC) and said the city and RDA would continue to pursue housing and amenity projects that make living in Ogden more attractive. Staff also noted that the CRA designates 20% of tax increment for housing and that some pass‑through revenue is available to taxing entities before CRA retirement (county would collect its remaining 25% immediately; the school district begins receiving its share per the CRA terms).

Next steps: Staff said the airport CRA amendment and the Williams incentive package would proceed through the RDA and council agenda process; the county’s amended interlocal has already been approved by the county commission. Staff recommended continued coordination with Weber County, the school district and state partners and said any TIF payments to Williams would be paid only on a post‑performance basis—i.e., tied to the new property taxes Williams actually generates each year.