LAWTON – Lawton’s decision to recruit defense contractors who can support the U.S. Army’s modernization plans is an example of the city’s willingness to support the military, said U.S. Rep. Tom Cole said.
“It’s the typical Lawton attitude: ‘What can we do to help? What can we do to make sure the men and women that lay down an important mission get all the support they can get? What can we do to harness our community in ways that will help them to fulfill their mission?’” he said.
Cole joined city officials and members of the FISTA Development Trust Authority April 15 at Central Plaza to celebrate the start of construction on the FISTA Innovation Park, which will promote collaboration between the tech industry and defense-related organizations. The business park is part of the FISTA Development Trust Authority’s efforts to recruit military defense contractors who can support the Fires Center of Excellence, a Fort Sill-based program aimed at modernizing the U.S. Army.
FISTA’s goal is to boost economic development by bringing high-paying, defense-related jobs to the Lawton area.
Some defense contractors have already set up shop in the old IBC building in Central Plaza, and FISTA is renovating the former Sears storefront in the mall to accommodate more contractors. The remodeled space will also include room for classrooms, which will allow local students to participate in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs.
Supporting the Fires Center of Excellence and recruiting defense contractors to Lawton will allow the city to offer the kind of high-tech jobs that young workers want, said Mayor Stan Booker.
“So you see, it’s a win-win for Fort Sill and the young men and women that volunteer to defend our freedom, as well as the community,” he said.
Booker said he visited Washington, D.C., recently for a briefing with the Senate Armed Services Committee’s minority staff director. And when the minority staff director started talking about FISTA, Booker realized that Oklahoma’s congressional delegation – which includes Cole and U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe – was making sure lawmakers were aware of FISTA and what it could do for the U.S. Army’s future.
“And we thank you for that,” Booker said.
Inhofe did not attend the event in person, but he appeared in a short video introduced by his state director, Bryson Panas. The senator, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he had worked with other members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation to secure federal funding for FISTA.
Inhofe also said he was looking forward to seeing what FISTA accomplishes.
“Let’s continue this vision together,” he said. “The time is now.”
Gov. Kevin Stitt did not attend the event, but his state field director, Saxton Alton, sent Southwest Ledger a statement from the governor.
“The FISTA is a priority for my Administration, and I appreciate the efforts of our federal delegation to support the FISTA in Oklahoma, which will help equip American modern war fighters to protect our liberties and freedoms around the globe,” Stitt wrote.
Remodeling the former Sears space into a hub for defense contractors is expected to cost approximately $7 million, about $4 million of which is part of the loan that FISTA obtained to buy Central Plaza. The city contributed $2 million for the remodeling project, and the federal government has kicked in another $1 million.
FISTA officials would like to see the renovation completed by late fall, said FISTA Development Trust Authority Chairman Clarence Fortney.
“We hope to have this finished in the time frame of November, which could push it into December,” he said. “Because there’s some building products, we may be a little bit slow in getting, but we’re really targeting November.”