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Concord City Council To Vote On Flight Training Center Incentive

flickr/CherryPoint

Concord city council members will vote this week on whether to give a local flight training center a $56,527  tax rebate over three years to expand. FlyRight is a training center located across the street from the Concord Regional Airport. The company plans to invest $5 million to build a second flight simulator. Concord City Manager Brian Hiatt says he hopes this will translate to more business for the airport.

"The pilots that are trained there become familiar with the location of our airport, and also, since they are being trained for planes that are used by many corporate and military customers," Hiatt says. "Having those pilots familiar with the location of our airport and our facilities is a big plus." 

Hiatt added that it would better if the city didn't have to give businesses incentives, but it's necessary to remain competitive. 

FlyRight opened its doors in 2008. The first incentive grant for the two-phase development process was approved by the Concord City Council in February 14, 2008 and signed on March 31, 2008. The Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation sent the grant request to the city council for a vote again this week because construction of the second simulator has been delayed and was initially expected to be completed by mid-2012. The measure is expected to pass.