Alabama is set to become just the third place in the world where giant jets are built, following an announcement Friday by the Air Force that will bring production of its next-generation aerial refueling tanker to Mobile, along with thousands of jobs expected to ripple across the region.
Northrop Grumman Corp. and the European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co., parent company of Airbus, beat out rival Boeing Co. for the $35 billion contract in a fierce, three-year battle waged on many fronts. The work could eventually be worth $100 billion.
The news is a huge - and in many circles, surprising - coup for the state, because the Northrop Grumman-EADS team was widely considered an underdog to Boeing, a longtime darling of U.S. defense contracts.
Many analysts had given Boeing the edge in the competition to replace an aging fleet of KC-135 aircraft. Boeing could protest the decision, a process that could last up to a year.
Almost immediately Friday, state leaders began drawing comparisons between the tanker win and another watershed moment for Alabama that birthed a booming state automotive industry.
"Just like the initial decision for Mercedes-Benz in 1993 to locate in Tuscaloosa County, this sent a message to the world that Alabama is a great place to live, work and do business," U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby said late Friday afternoon, shortly after his flight touched down at the Birmingham International Airport and he heard the news.
`I hear screaming':
While Mobile is undoubtedly ground zero for Alabama's latest economic development prize, the tanker business is sure to be felt throughout the state, said Alabama Development Office Director Neal Wade.
Unlike the automotive industry before Mercedes-Benz, the aerospace industry already is strong, Wade said. The tanker work will push it to another level, and the global exposure should boost activity in other industry sectors, he said.
"It's going to help our efforts in aerospace, our efforts in automotive and all of our economic development efforts throughout the world," Wade said.
Wade heard the news while he was on the phone with someone in Gov. Bob Riley's office Friday afternoon, and she said, "I hear screaming."
A quick check confirmed that the contract had gone Alabama's way, setting off celebrations from Mobile to Montgomery to Washington, D.C.
None in Texas, however. The New York Times reported that the Air Force decision was so closely held that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, issued a statement moments before the Pentagon announcement that mistakenly said Boeing had won the deal and would bring an estimated 3,000 jobs to Texas.
Jobs as carrots:
It's been an arduous three-year process to get to this point, as Riley, Shelby, Sen. Jeff Sessions and U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Mobile, helped the Northrop Grumman-EADS team promote its tanker, which was up against Boeing's KC-767.
The Boeing tanker was slated to be built in the Seattle area, now one of two places in the world where large aircraft are assembled. The other site is Toulouse, France, home of Airbus.
The companies faced off with extensive campaigns designed to sway decisionmakers, as they each announced job creation and economic impact estimates in various states if their respective tanker was chosen.
Before Friday's announcement, Alabama had won 1,500 jobs on paper, Wade said, referring to those directly tied to the military work.
"Today we won them for real," he said.
Along with those jobs, the contract win carries a bonus. Last month, EADS said it would build a commercial freighter in Mobile if it won the military work.
Supplier work also is expected to created thousands of jobs.
Wade said the state already has tight relationships with those companies and will immediately amp up efforts to bring them to Alabama, too.
Swaying the Air Force:
For Mobile, the tanker work is the second major economic development announcement in less than a year. Last May, German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp chose a site north of the city where it is building a $3.7 billion plant, Alabama's largest industrial prize ever.
In the tanker race, analysts had given Boeing the advantage with its smaller and lighter KC-767, which would take up less space on the ground and burn less fuel. But Northrop said its larger plane would be more efficient and able to carry more fuel, personnel and cargo.
The tanker is based on the Airbus A330 twin-engine jetliner.
In announcing the decision, Air Force officials said the winning tanker provided the best value to the government in five key factors: mission capability, proposal risk, past performance, cost price and integrated fleet aerial refueling rating.
The contract is worth $30 billion to $40 billion over 10 to 15 years and could be even more lucrative, since it is the first of three deals to replace the Air Force's entire fleet of nearly 600 tankers.
Despite Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman's presence in the competition, as well as plans to assemble what will be called the KC-45 in Mobile, Chicago-based Boeing had singled out Northrop's partner as European, bringing national pride into the picture.
That sentiment continued Friday following the announcement.
In a joint statement, Washington state's two senators and six of its nine House members said they were outraged by the choice of a European company "and its foreign workers" to provide a tanker to the U.S. military.
"This is a blow to the American aerospace industry, American workers and America's men and women in uniform ... We will be asking tough questions about the decision to outsource this contract," the statement read.
E-mail: dkent@bhamnews.com
A court-ordered study has concluded that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' dredging practices in the Mobile Bay ship channel did not cause erosion on Dauphin Island, according to documents released this week.
But beach erosion experts familiar with the island's sand delivery system called the report's conclusions and methods "arbitrary" and "physically impossible." The report also seems to contradict conclusions reached by the corps as far back as 1978, according to a Press-Register analysis of corps documents.
The study was released this week by lawyers representing Dauphin Island property owners who filed a lawsuit in 2000, claiming that dredging of the channel by the corps has blocked the natural westward flow of sand onto their beaches. The suit claims that corps practices caused massive erosion on the island.
The 316-page impact study was conducted as part of a 2006 settlement agreement between Dauphin Island and the federal government. Mark Byrnes, a Massachusetts-based coastal engineer, was appointed the chief investigator for the study.
The study concludes that scientific and historical data show "no measurable negative impacts associated with historical channel dredging."
As part of the settlement, three experts appointed by the involved parties were assigned to review the conclusions.
Dauphin Island's expert, Florida-based coastal engineer Robert Dean, wrote in his March 7 dissent that he has what he calls "valid questions" about the "arbitrary methodology" used in the study, and the study therefore should be considered inconclusive.
His dissent means the Corps of Engineers has until May to decide between two courses of action: Return to the U.S. Federal Court of Claims to resolve the dispute or declare the study inconclusive and consider beach restoration or other options, according to the terms of the settlement.
Scott Douglass, a coastal engineer with the University of South Alabama, has long maintained that sand moving in from the east falls into the ship channel, where it collects until the corps dredges it up and dumps it offshore -- a conclusion that motivated property owners to file the lawsuit.
"There is no way it cannot have an impact on the down-drift beaches," Douglass said on Friday, after learning about the study's conclusions. "It's physically impossible."
A 1978 report by the Corps of Engineers also attributed the erosion of 11 miles of Dauphin Island's western end to channel dredging, warning that if no action were taken, "erosion would continue to claim valuable property on the island, ultimately causing hardships for island property owners and a lessening of the area's attractiveness for recreational activities."
The report states that 6.8 million cubic yards of material had been removed from the channel and "it is assumed that none of the dredged material returns to shore."
The impact study released this week, though, claims that neither Douglass nor the corps "relied on a detailed evaluation of the historical dredging records" or historical records of the shoreline and water to reach their conclusions.
In a letter to Dauphin Island property owners dated March 20, their lawyer, Richard Davis, wrote that "we will urge the Corps of Engineers to declare the final report inconclusive and initiate the feasibility study."
Lawyers representing the federal government could not be reached for comment on Friday.
The impact study claims that breaches in the island caused by past hurricanes and storms have become refilled with sand, and the current break in the island caused by hurricanes Ivan in 2004 and Katrina in 2005 has also begun to close.
"If sufficient sand quantities were not being supplied to the island throughout the historical record, storm breaches along central Dauphin Island would be difficult to fill and beaches would not recover very rapidly," the impact study states.
The study also points to the far western end of the island, which has grown about three miles since about 1920, a period of active channel dredging, the study states.
Dean's dissent claims that "some of these data were collected many years ago at times when the survey control and technology were of lesser quality than at present."
(Staff Reporter Ben Raines contributed to this report.)
The Dauphin Island Property Owners Association is asking that everyone write to our Alabama senators and our local congressman in support of the east end beach restoration project that the Town of Dauphin Island has spearheaded through a consultant working with Washington, D.C. Please read the letter posted below from Bill Harper, DIPOA President which explains the process. I personally thank everyone in advance for their participation and efforts to make this project successful!
_________________________________________________________________
March 20, 2008
Dear property owners and friends,
The Dauphin Island Property Owners Association is working with the Town of Dauphin Island, as well as our other entities and organizations here on the island, to effect solutions to our long-standing problems with beach erosion. The Town has engaged a consultant in Washington, DC to search for and guide legislation through our legislative system that will offer aid to our island. In a short time he has been quite successful in getting our two Alabama senators and our local congressman to sponsor legislation that will help stabilize our beaches.
The first step in this process is a bill for $11.5 million dollars for restoration of our East End beach front, where needed, from Ft Gaines to the Dauphin Island pier, some three miles of beachfront. This section of the island was chosen first because of its importance to our overall infrastructure, our water supply, as well as providing protection to vital historical and environmental sites. Public access and no legal entanglements was also a consideration.
It is most helpful to this legislation if we can write letters to our Alabama senators, Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby, plus Jo Bonner, our local congressman, supporting this effort. Use your on words, but below I have furnished you with background information to aid you in drafting your correspondence. Keep your letter reasonably short, emphasis numerous reasons why this legislation is important to our area.
The erosion of the Dauphin Island Gulf of Mexico shoreline has caused real property loss and is endangering the island’s infrastructure. Contributing causes of the significant erosion along Dauphin Island’s shoreline can be debated as to whether they are the shipping channels (Mobile Bay and Fort Gaines Ship Channels) and ensuing dredging and dumping practices, or damages caused by past hurricanes, most notably Ivan and Katrina. Although past hurricanes have contributed to the erosion, many numerous other dangers to the Island’s physical and economic survival as a community and barrier island must be included. The engineering actions of man, combined with the entrance of Mobile Bay’s complicated sand bar arrangement and with ever moving smaller barrier islands, have created an ever-increasing danger to the survival of the beaches, dunes, maritime forests, tidal flats, salt marshes, and coastline.
Dauphin Island, a barrier island, is uniquely important to our whole area. It protects the mainland, and it’s vast wetland system, as well as the people and structures in south Mobile County. It offers village and seaside residences within short commuting distance to major industries, present and future. We are on a major birding flyway. The seafood industry is also most dependent on our presence, as we have seen the problems with the oyster beds at Cedar Point because of salinity problems in the area. We are Mobile County and Southeast Mississippi’s recreational short stay beach area. We host visitors from all of the United States, year round.
In order to get the letters to these legislators without delay we need you to either mail, fax, email with a Word attachment or bring in person to the DIPOA office at the Isle Dauphine Club/Golf Course. We will work with the Town to express mail these to our consultant who will hand deliver them to the proper offices.
Our mailing address is Dauphin Island Property Owners Assoc., P.O. Box 39, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, Fax 251-861-4229, or email at dipoa@skyynett.com .
ALABAMA SENATORS
SENATOR JEFF SESSIONS
335 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
SENATOR RICHARD SHELBY
110 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
REPRESENTATIVE JO BONNER
422 CANNON HOUSE OFFICE BUILDINGWASHINGTON, D.C. 20515
We need you help, please draft a letter to the above legislators as soon as possible.
Yours truly,
William (Bill) Harper
President
DIPOA
This weekend the Town of Dauphin Island will be sponsoring a plant give-away for dune planting. This will be on a first-come-first-serve basis on Saturday, March 22 between 9:00 & 12:00 at Town Hall. Hope that some of you will be able to make it!
The Town of Dauphin Island wants to buy land on the undeveloped west end for a public beach, but a plan to have it open by Memorial Day weekend has been delayed, officials said this week.
Town officials have discussed purchasing land just west of Bienville Boulevard for an estimated $1.75 million. The town would build a gravel parking lot, tiki huts for retailers, and restrooms for visitors, officials said.
The proposed parcel is about 200 feet wide east-to-west and stretches from the north shore to the south shore, although that could change with negotiations, officials said. That's about two-thirds of a football field, without the end zones.
Most of the land along the western end of Bienville Boulevard is owned by private homeowners. A west end public beach is one of several development projects proposed last year as a way to revive the local economy and attract more tourists.
"The hopes were to have something done by this summer, to try to catch this season, to try to boost tourism," said Mayor Jeff Collier.
But the town must wait until it receives all necessary permits before moving forward with the project, Collier said, including environmental assessments.
"We want to know what kind of usage would be available to us before we commit to the deal," Collier said.
Joyce Allen, the town's projects director, said the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must be involved in the plans.
Fish and Wildlife Service officials have identified the area as critical habitat for the piping plover, a migratory bird that stays on Dauphin Island during the winter months.
"We have concerns for piping plovers in that area," said Rob Tawes, assistant field supervisor in the Daphne office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "There are also sea turtles that occasionally nest on that island."
Tawes said the agency will consult with Dauphin Island on the potential impact of development in the area following federal guidelines, but the office has not received a formal request from the island.
Scott Hughes, ADEM spokesman, said he couldn't comment on what type of permits would be necessary until the agency receives its own formal request from Dauphin Island.
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 cut the island in two, leaving a gash in the undeveloped portion that has grown to a mile-wide breach.
West Dauphin LLC, owners of the land being discussed for a sale, have proposed donating a second parcel just west of the breach, town officials said.
That parcel is an estimated 1,000 feet east-to-west, stretching from the north shore to the south shore, town officials said.
The town's economic development consultant Liberty Duke proposed last year that the town build an entertainment pavilion on the donated parcel using a ferry to bring tourists over for special events and concerts.
Duke said that plan is on hold while the town focuses on opening a public beach.
The Dauphin Island Park and Beach Board, a separate entity, operates a public beach near the Dauphin Island Elementary School and beachfront property in the Audubon Bird Sanctuary.
The beach along the Property Owners Association's Isle Dauphine Golf Club is also open to the public.
Riley Boykin Smith, former head of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is a partner in West Dauphin LLC.
Smith said this week that he hasn't made any offers to Dauphin Island, but he is in discussion over a possible land deal. No plans have been set, he said.
"I think it's great that the people down there are trying to get some public access," Smith said.
2008 Press-Register. All rights reserved
South of all the action is a natural corridor for employees to live, from Dog River south DIP. So the real estate bust will probably shore up down west bay sooner than later, especially as the market has still up side and not too excessive speculation. Saltaire is well timed, the west bay is a great spot for sunrise, Fowl River is unspoiled, and sleepy Dauphin Island is a jewel in the rough that has untapped upside because it is isolated as a tiny island community, which is highly desirable as a community sense of place, and not a bad commute to new jobs at MAE EADS TK AUSTAL BROOKLEY. Hey these guys can even fly their little cessna home from Brookley to the Dauphin Island airport single runway and ride their bikes home. Now that’s not bad.
Message From Bill Harper
March 10, 2008
Dear Friends,
Bruce Thompson, our Treasurer, reported that our bank accounts are now being recharged from high year-end expenses in 2007, mainly property taxes and insurance expenses. Good golf play from our winter visitors has increased our income considerably. This month’s income along with April's income should take us close to our budgeted projections.
Jeff Collier, our Operations Manager, reported the condition of the golf course continues to improve every month. The winter golfers are complimenting us on how well it looks. His crew has been busy cutting dead pines near to the Desoto-Landing area and generally cleaning debris still left over from the storms of past years.
Phil Baldwin and his Greens-Committee volunteers have been busy with numerous projects around the Club grounds. Phil’s wife Regina has overseen painting of the office and locker rooms. The new paint looks great. We are waiting on estimates for re-doing the floors in the office, grill, and locker rooms. The carpet is old and really needs replacement. With the able help of AmeriCorp volunteers, the greens committee has repaired the cart-barn, repaired and installed more sand fencing on the beach areas, and the AmeriCorp young people planted pine seedlings on the beach, courtesy of the Sea Lab, to restore our maritime forest on the beach-side of our property. We will repair the tennis courts in the weeks to come.
The concrete repairs to the Club building, funded by a grant from the US Department of Interior, are in high gear. The contract for the concrete work has been signed and is progressing. Part of the contract involves painting repaired surfaces, but after this is complete we will have a big volunteer project to complete painting the entire exterior of the Club. We want it to sparkle this Spring and Summer.
We have applied to the Exxon/Mobil Community Summer Jobs Program for funding two youth employees to work around the Club this summer. Hopefully we can expand our weekend beach cleaning and management project to a full time one this year.
On the legal front, we are awaiting some action on the Corp settlement this week. If this happens our attorney's in the West Surf Beach lawsuit, will move immediately to ask for a ruling from Judge Graddick on this lingering lawsuit. The covenant appeal we won is now being appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court, but our attorney feels that because of the specific instructions given the local court on it's reversal, based on Alabama law, the ASC will probably decline to hear it.
We discussed our Scholarship Fund, some $30,000+. It hasn't been used in a number of years, and after a lively discussion, I now realize why. Lot's of opinions on how to disburse these funds, but the main issues revolve around merit and/or need, island kids or member kids, etc.. So we did what you do when it gets complicated, we formed a committee to look into past criteria and develop new criteria if necessary. I am sure we will come up with a balance that will serve all relevant concerns.
Our next board meeting is Thursday, April 3, 2008, at 7:00 pm, Isle Dauphine Club
Lastly, we have three board positions up for re-election. If you want to serve your community as a member of Dauphin Island Property Owners Assoc. board, please submit your bio-statement, 200 words or less. The deadline is April 1, 2008. For more information call 251-861-2433 or email us at
Best regards,
ACP Real Estate, Inc.
www.acpinfo.com
REAL ESTATE SALES – VACATION RENTALS – PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
251-861-3311 Local • 866-861-3311 Toll Free • 251-861-3366 Fax
900 Bienville Blvd. – P.O. Box 1177 – Dauphin Island, Alabama 36528
Real Estate Sales: Sales@acpinfo.com
Vacation Rentals: Rentals@acpinfo.com
Staff Profiles | Free Market Analysis | VACATION RENTALS | ACP-Bayou La Batre | Rental Rules - Policies | SALES - RESIDENTIAL | SALES - LOTS & LAND | SEARCH MOBILE MLS | Weather - Dauphin Island | Airport-Dauphin Island | Damage Waiver Fee | Dauphin Island Video | CONTACT ACP | Dauphin Island Directory | Audubon Bird Sanctuary | BirdYear.com | Birding - Dauphin Island | AL Coastal Birding Trail | Map - Dauphin Island | Calendar of Events | Feathered Pixel | Audubon Society | AL - Fishing License | Fishing Tournaments-DI | Charter Fishing | Dauphin Island Birding | Photos-Dauphin Island | Dauphin Island Slides | Dauphin Island History | FEATURED HOMES | HOME | ROBIN'S BLOG - ACP
Copyright © 2008 ACP Real Estate, Inc.Portions Copyright © 2008 a la mode, inc.Another XSite by a la mode, inc. | Admin Login| Terms of Use| Site MapAll rate, payment, and area information are estimates and approximations only.
