Hopes and plans for a thriving Elizabeth City Air Park have not panned out over the past year. Businesses have not been able to create the jobs they promised in this economy.
Leoneda Inge: Elizabeth City and Pasquotank County pinned a lot of their hopes and plans on DRS Technologies the main company in the air park. DRS services C-130 military airplanes and other aircraft. There were three major grants awarded to the air park one was from the Department of Commerce. Elizabeth City Manager Ron Olson says most of the big funders required the creation of at least 100 jobs or face financial penalty.
Ron Olson: Well, the city is protected because of what’s called a legally binding layer of commitment we have with DRS that makes them responsible for the creation of those jobs.
One media report says Elizabeth City could face more than two-million dollars in fines for not meeting job projections.
