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Committee approves MOU supporting Cirrus Aircraft expansion, council member dissents over foreign ownership
Summary
The committee approved a memorandum of understanding to support a 30,000-square-foot Cirrus Aircraft expansion in Grand Forks that city staff said would add 30–45 jobs and set up potential future growth; one council member dissented citing foreign ownership and CFIUS concerns.
The Grand Forks Committee of the Whole on Monday approved a memorandum of understanding to support a planned 30,000-square-foot expansion by Cirrus Aircraft, a move city staff said will enable production increases and create an estimated 30–45 new manufacturing jobs.
City staff told the committee the expansion — estimated at $10.5 million for the building plus additional investments in tooling and improvements — would strengthen Grand Forks as Cirrus’s manufacturing hub and lay groundwork for possible larger expansions over the next five years. The council voted to approve the MOU; Council Member Lisowski dissented.
City speakers said Cirrus would invest in tooling and automation and that the company plans additional investments in existing facilities, representing roughly a $15 million total project value when combined with other improvements. Cirrus’s site manager, Steve Thomas, told the committee the expansion will support new product lines, including an SR‑10 training airplane, and “set the table” for further expansion and automation investments.
To keep Cirrus’s operations competitive, city staff said the economic package being offered includes a 10-year, 100% city property tax exemption and the possibility of PACE financing similar to prior primary‑sector deals. City staff framed the package as comparable to other local incentives and argued the city had previously used longer or larger tax incentives in downtown and campus projects.
Council concerns focused on ownership and national security review. City staff noted Cirrus’s ownership structure and said the company has engaged with the Department of Defense and the Air Force; staff said no red flags had been identified at that point. Council Member Lisowski said she opposed granting a 100% tax exemption to a company with ties to China and stated she did not agree with the incentive package; her dissent was recorded when the motion passed.
The motion to approve the MOU was made by Council Member Lansky and seconded by Council Member Bean. The motion passed; the transcript records Lisowski’s dissent. City staff said approval of the MOU would allow staff to prepare a formal development agreement and pursue required approvals for tax incentives and PACE finance.
