Signing of Enhanced Use Lease heralds new era at Grand Forks AFB Published Feb. 19, 2015 By Staff Sgt. David Dobrydney 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- A new era began here February 18 with the formal signing of the Enhanced Use Lease agreement by Air Force, North Dakota state and industry leadership. The lease paves the way for work to begin on the Grand Sky Business & Technology Park, a 217-acre project to foster research and development of unmanned aerial systems. Col. Paul Bauman, 319th Air Base Wing commander, said the Warriors of the North were honored to host the signing ceremony, citing the Grand Sky project as one of the hottest he's dealt with since taking command of the wing. Saying that the future possibilities are endless, Bauman concluded, "We have gone from 'look how far we've come' to 'look how far we can go'." The lease has been more than three years in the making and is expected to bring approximately 3,000 jobs to the region. With the signing completed, engineering work is expected to begin at the site shortly, with construction expected to commence as early as spring 2015. In attendance to sign the agreement was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installation, Environment and Energy Kathleen Ferguson, who is one of the main links between the federal and North Dakota governments. "It's a great day to be in Grand Forks," Ferguson declared, as she described how the lease is a 'win-win' for the companies who will use the space and the base which will receive revenue for infrastructure improvement. "The better the developer does, the better the base will do," she said, "We truly are in this together." Representatives for the state of North Dakota speaking at the ceremony were pleased as well. North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple said the EUL represents an important milestone in the development of the state's UAS industry, into which the state has invested $20 million. Senator John Hoeven was jubilant as he declared the lease a one-of-a-kind agreement. "You can't develop new technology unless you're doing things no one has ever done," he said. Representative Kevin Cramer likened Grand Sky to the Bakken oil fields. "Success breeds success," he said, "we want to make Grand Sky the go-to place for this sort of innovation." Following the signing, Ferguson toured the base, visiting the air traffic control tower and the pad where the new UAS center is to be constructed.