Business & Development

An Imagine Jackson fact sheet

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

By Jake Nichols

What is Imagine Jackson and Square One? Who are the principals and where is the money coming from? What, ultimately, are the goals of this project?

WHO: Imagine Jackson is a nonprofit community development organization, promoting a sustainable community for future generations.

Its board chairman is Michael Halpin and its executive director is Mark Obringer. Obringer is also the public sector sponsor acting on behalf of the organization.

A representative from the public sector is mandatory when applying for state funds.

Roger Bower is the Western Regional Director for the Wyoming Business Council Program, through which the state funds are made available to communities statewide.

“Every community or county uses this program in their own way,” Bower said. “In Sublette it might be natural gas. In Uinta, it’s coal bed methane. In Jackson, it’s important to tap the intellectual capital.”

All grant applications are approved and regulated by the Governor, Secretary of State, State Attorney General, Treasurer, Auditor, Superintendent of Public Instru
ction and the Wyoming Business Council.

Square One Systems Design was the first Teton County recipient of a Wyoming Business Council grant, applying for and receiving $810,000 last summer.

The technical design firm has employed several locals with challenging jobs at competitive wages, while spending over $600,000 with local businesses in 2006.

WHAT: The state grant program has doled out over $90 million to all 23 Wyoming counties since 2003.

It comes in three flavors: Business Committed Community Grant (used when a business is already known in the application), Business Ready Community Grant (used when a business is not yet known or named in the application) and Community Enhancement Grant.

Applications are considered in this order of preference, making it more desirable for Imagine Jackson to find a potential tenant before the loan application gets considered this spring.

“We’ve been looking at a one-off fabrication shop south of town, which could work well with Square One,” Halpin said of Imagine Jackson’s second loan application for roughly $1 million in a Business Ready Community Grant.

WHEN: Application deadline for this year is March 16. The Wyoming Business Council board will meet this year in Jackson on May 30-31.

The board gives its recommendations to the State Loan and Investment Board in Cheyenne for their final approval on June 20.

Bowers says his region has about $38 million to grant. There are currently requests for these funds totaling over $70 million.

WHERE: If awarded, Imagine Jackson plans to build a second structure on the .7-acre lot on South Park Loop Road that was acquired for Square One. The site is located outside of city limits.

WHY: Imagine Jackson, by providing affordable office space to local small businesses, is able to create knowledge-based jobs that ensure higher paying salaries for essential community members so that they, too, can afford to stay in Jackson.” says a representative of the board.
PERMALINK:
An Imagine Jackson fact sheet | Planet JH News Article: Business

Reader Comments

Did Planet muzzle reporter? Planet Fluff In his Council Chronicles column on Feb. 7, Planet Jackson Hole reporter Jake Nichols provided a few bits of keen insight on the Imagine Jackson vote before the city council. Although the column had some tongue-in-cheek innuendo and the unfortunate title “Melissa Turley’s vote cannot be bought,” the real gem was Nichols’ observation that Meridian Group developer Mike Halpin stood to gain another contract for designing the building Imagine Jackson seeks public money to construct. Halpin is chairman of the group’s board. It’s that type of insider profiteering, real or perceived, that has so many people in the community grumbling about this whole arrangement, not inaccurate reporting, as has been alleged by some of the parties involved. But Nichols’ column prompted an angry letter to the Planet from Halpin, and now the paper has a weak Imagine Jackson “fact sheet“, with Nichols’ byline, in this week’s edition. It’s too bad Nichols wasn’t turned loose for more aggressive reporting. Instead of a PR sales pitch, the facts the community would like to know are how much public money is going into private pocketbooks. The Planet printing something mildly critical of local government? Gasp! Nichols took heat for insinuating that Halpin was trying to buy support by having bottles of his Grand Teton water in front of the council at the meeting. Here’s what Nichols wrote: "With Imagine Jackson chairman Mike Halpin in the audience, eagerly awaiting the outcome of the vote that could secure state funds that would allow his Meridian Group to design the grounds for a second building next to Square One, there was a bottle of his Grand Teton Water at every councilmember’s place … except Turley’s. She drank from a pretty pink Nalgene." Did Nichols want us to believe that bottled water influenced the vote? Of course not, but it was a pretty sharp observation. It’s too bad his superiors at the Planet aren’t encouraging more incisive reporting and analysis. Instead, here’s a sample from the “fact sheet:” "WHO: Imagine Jackson is a nonprofit community development organization, promoting a sustainable community for future generations." Printing hollow spin like this is doing the community no service. I wrote about Imagine Jackson’s request for town help in securing a $1 million state grant on Feb. 5 (”Turley Time”). That story has a lot of background. Also penned a story about the vote that night (“Business as Usual”), when the council approved the loan request, to Halpin’s relief. In case you didn’t know, Halpin bottles water in Grand Teton park on a private inholding near the JY Ranch. The shrewd businessman concocted a deal to give part of the proceeds to the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, one of many private groups taking over the federal government’s responsibility to fund parks and in return exerting an influence over policy and building gigantic castles for visitor centers. The water is touted to come from “a spring high on Buck Mountain.” Explore posts in the same categories: politics, commentary, business, town government, media, Imagine Jackson
jhunderground.com

Hey, Halpin! Couple of questions here. If The Wyoming Biz Council is dumb enough to give you and Mark O a million bucks, do you can you promise that your company, Meridian Group, will have nothing to do with further development on the project and won't see a dime of the money? And, why should taxpayers subsidize you guys so you can develop private land and have your real estate agent paid off while you stand to collect revenue from future rent? Answers please...THE PEOPLE ARE WAITING...tick-tock...tick...tock!
Dr.Evil

Why isn't this taxpayer subsidized project being put out to bid instead of steered into the Halpin & his Meridian Group's hands?
CitizenRevolt



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Saturday, July 04, 2009

Thunder in the Vicinity

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Listen to today's news by Jackson Hole Radio.

TODAY'S EVENTS
Community
Volunteer With Habitat for Humanity
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
call for location info.
Music
DJ Thunder and Just Kenny
10:00 PM
at 43 North.
Art
Wilson Summer Arts and Crafts Fair
9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
on the Banks of Fish Creek at the Fish Creek Center in Wilson.
Music
Pianist Pam Drews Phillips
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
in the Granary at Spring Creek Ranch atop East Gros Ventre Butte.
Music
Phil Round
6:30 PM to 9:30 PM
in the lobby of Amangani Hotel.
Music
Lost Traveler
9:00 PM
at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.
Film
NWMA Summer Film Series
2:00 PM
National Museum of Wildlife Art
Music
DJ Optimal
11:00 PM
at Cutty's.
Music
Bob Greenspan
6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
in the Four Seasons Lobby Lounge.
Music
Cowboy Logic
8:00 PM to 11:30 PM
at the Silver Dollar Bar in the Wort Hotel.
Music
Revolver
9:00 PM
at the Virginian Saloon.
Music
4th of July Parade
10:30 AM
with the Jackson Hole Community Band from the Rodeo Grounds, up Glenwood St. to Broadway and on past Town Square. The band then plays a full concert on the Town Square starting at 11:30 a.m.
Community
Howdy Pardner Parade
10:30 AM
Teton County Fair Ground to The Town Square.
Community
Jackson Hole Kids Games
11:30 AM
St. Johns Episcopal Church.
Community
Fourth of July Fireworks
12:00 PM
At the base of Snow King and in Teton Village.
Music
God Bless America Festival
12:00 PM
at the Knotty Pine in Victor.
Music
Music in the Hole
3:00 PM
outside at Alpine Field.
Music
Music in the Hole
3:00 PM to 7:30 PM
On Alpine Field
Music
Wounded Knee
6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
on the deck at South Side Pub and Pizza.
Sports & Recreation
Jackson Hole Rodeo
8:00 PM
Rodeo Grounds on W Snow King Ave.
Music
Head for the Hills
9:30 PM
at the Mangy Moose in Teton Village.
Music
Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash
10:00 PM
at the Bull Moose Saloon in Alpine.
View All Events
planet polls
Main Poll
Should local government foster public art initiatives?


Total of voters : 95