The federal government's recent decision not to fund Spokane's aerospace tech hub shouldn't be viewed as a "no," but rather as a "not yet."

Members of the Inland Northwest Consortium, which has proposed converting the old Triumph Composite Systems Inc. manufacturing plant in west Spokane into the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center, should learn what they can from the initial process, regroup, and continue to pursue this massive undertaking. 

After all, the consortium, led by Gonzaga University and Lakeside Cos. and involving 50-some additional organizations, already has defied odds by earning the "regional technology and innovation hub" designation from the U.S. Economic Development Association for the envisioned aerospace tech hub. That, in itself, was no easy feat, as it was among 31 projects to make the first cut and land the designation sought by advocates for 387 projects nationwide. 

While that's little consolation for missing out on $40 million to $70 million in federal funding, it's validation to continue moving forward on a concept that coalesced over the past two years. 

The need for a greater capacity for aerospace training is apparent. As Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh said in the wake of missing out on the initial set of federal funds: “It was clear from the outset that this would be a very competitive process; it is also clear that our proposal is incredibly important for the future of American competitiveness in commercial aviation and aerospace."

The U.S. Department of Commerce apparently shares that sentiment on some level. In the wake of the announcement that the aerospace tech hub missed out on funding, the department announced Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Castillo and tech hub program director Eric Smith will visit the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center project.

While in Spokane, the federal delegation is expected to work with the hub to strengthen its strategy—and presumably help advocates put themselves in a better position for future federal funding.

Gary Ballew, vice president of economic development at Greater Spokane Incorporated, recently told the Journal it's common for efforts such as the aerospace tech hub to come up short in the first try at garnering funding. Even so, he says he was a little surprised at the decision, because he felt the Inland Northwest Consortium made a strong case for the need for a project like the aerospace hub. 

The key, he says, is to begin preparing immediately for the next presumable round of funding, as consensus among supporters is that the EDA funding won't be a one-and-done proposition. 

“We went through this and said, ‘This is why this is a good place to do this,’” says Ballew. “That is still true.”

With the cluster of aerospace manufacturing companies already present in the Inland Northwest, the availability of the 386,000-square-foot plant, and the backing of large, powerful companies statewide, the case for such a project remains strong. The Spokane business community just needs to work together diligently to make the case for this potential major economic development driver.