Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout27_Mayors Newsletter_012617Sound Transit reaffirms commitment to build new transit center and garage Boeing renews leases at Renton Municipal Airport; confirms 737 production to increase in 2017 Several weeks ago, I mentioned in this column that the Boeing Company had celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. With a presence in our city for the past 75 years, Boeing continues to be our largest employer and the Renton plant is responsible for producing the most successful airplanes flying throughout the world, the 737 and the 737 MAX. Under the leadership of Ray Conner, who recently stepped down as president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the Renton plant projects to be producing 52 airplanes per month by next year. While Conner remains vice chairman of the Boeing Company, Kevin McAllister, the former CEO of GE Aviation Services, was selected to serve as the new president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet Kevin at a small breakfast gathering attended by a couple other mayors, county executives Dow Constantine and Dave Somers, former Gov. Chris Gregoire, UW President Ana Mari Cauce, and Frank Blethen, publisher of the Seattle Times. It was a very nice gathering and a chance for some discussion surrounding the aerospace industry, the current competitive challenges and the importance of aerospace to the US economy. Boeing means a lot to our community and we’re proud to be the home of the 737, the best-selling airplane in the world with over 9,000 produced. Boeing and the city have renewed long-term leases at the Renton Municipal Airport. The airport is adjacent to Boeing’s 737 factory and serves as the takeoff point for every 737 produced. At its current rate of 42 airplanes per month, the Renton facility is the most productive airplane factory in the world. JANUARY 26, 2017 This Week from the Mayor Denis Law, Mayor VOL. II, NO. 4 EVERY BOEING 737 TAKES TO THE SKIES FOR THE FIRST TIME FROM RENTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT Feedback Comments, questions or suggestions, or just want to share all the great things that are happening in the city, please e-mail me. Thanks for reading. Mayor’s Inclusion Task Force sets schedule for 2017 Yesterday, we had another great meeting with members of the Mayor’s Inclusion Task Force. It was my great pleasure to welcome eight new members of the task force representing the African-American, Chinese-American, Indian, Sikh, Somali, and Vietnamese communities, and representatives of the Muslim faith. At our meeting we celebrated our successes and set our goals for 2017. As part of our goal of inclusion an important priority is to make all our residents feel safe and welcome in Renton. Several members of the task force volunteered to work on a comprehensive campaign to address this. Some of the other ideas the group wanted to address includes expanding commerce and business opportunities for all, facilitating forums to encourage open conversations between different cultural groups, hosting career fairs to increase employment, engaging youth participation, exploring opportunities for seniors and immigrant groups to come together, and greater outreach about city services to different community groups. In the next few months we will be working with our task force members to plan and implement several of these priorities. Downtown redevelopment plans got another boost at Monday’s City Council meeting. Sound Transit Chief Executive Officer Peter Rogoff reaffirmed their commitment to build a new transit center and garage. Sound Transit is currently completing required environmental review work on one possible location, the vacant property at South Grady Way and Rainier Avenue South. The plan to establish an implementation timeline this spring. We’ve been adamant with Sound Transit that relocating the transit center from downtown was a vital part of our vision to create the type of inviting and vibrant downtown the city deserves. Moving the transit center is also a key step in getting more comprehensive mass transit services. It is our intention to close the downtown transit center by the end of 2017 and I look forward to working with King County to make this a reality.