The plant is 95 percent designed, had an environmental impact report and negotiations with property owners completed. So it is a shovel-ready project once funding is secured, she said.
A membrane bioreactor plant, it is designed to take up less space and be more cost-efficient. It was originally designed to process 5 million gallons a day and has technology available to expand to 35 million gallons. It could provide 2,000 construction jobs plus hundreds of permanent jobs as developers build around it, she noted.
The plant will cost $55 million. Initial financing could be provided by the state through Imperial’s Integrated Regional Water Management Plan from Proposition 84 funds. The region’s water forum has drafted a plan the California Department of Water Resources has expressed an interest in, but it is a competitive grant and there is no certainty, Best said.
Additional funding could come from USDA Rural Development but what could really green light construction is private investors, Best said.
Already major manufacturers from China expressed interest in building in the Keystone area. And Imperial Valley Economic Development Corp. and the local Holliday Inn have attracted potential backers through the U.S. employment based fifth preference (EB5) visa for those foreign investors interested in immigrating and investing in real estate here, Best said.
An exact date for ground-breaking has not been set but every day the project is moving forward, Best said. The project will help needed infrastructure development that provides opportunity for private sector jobs and expands the manufacturing base of the area as a whole, she added.
Staff Writer William Roller can be reached at 760-337-3435 or wroller@ivpressonline.com
