The Little Rock Board of Directors agenda for next week includes an item for the city to contribute $500,000 from a fund created by a sales tax increase to go with a $1.5 million state contribution to help finance expansion of the Dassault Falcon Jet aircraft finishing facility at the Clinton National Airport.
The Board agenda note says the infrastructure improvement on the company’s leased lend will help a project that will create 200 new jobs paying $20 an hour.
I presume this is related to an expansion Dassault announced last year to accommodate work on two new jet models. At the time, and in related reporting, there were some conflicting figures on job numbers, some hinging on retention of existing jobs as opposed to new jobs. That deal also included waiver of some rent by Little Rock on airport facilities worth $43 million over 40 years. The company was said then to employ about 1,900 in Little Rock.