We did it. We landed a large infusion of federal funding to make the envisioned Inland Northwest aerospace tech hub a reality. 

Relatively soon, businesses, educators, and economic development advocates will fulfill a collective dream to build out the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center in west Spokane. And ideally, in the near future, that center will be a catalyst for more jobs and investment in the Inland Northwest business community. 

But for just a moment, let's celebrate a big win, the kind of win that doesn't come around all that often. A win that took the coordinated effort of 50-some organizations rowing in the same direction to develop a proposal that became one of just 18, so far, to receive a commitment of tens of millions of dollars from the federal government, one of the select few that beat out 300 other proposals nationwide. 

Those involved in putting together a winning proposal deserve praise for getting this far and continued support while taking the major steps necessary to do what's expected. 

And what's expected is significant. After the proposal was awarded $48 million in federal funding, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) said, "America is handing the baton to Spokane, establishing it as an innovation testbed for high-rate aerospace materials manufacturing. We’re betting on Spokane’s leadership and manufacturing base to solve the aviation challenges America faces. This important R&D mission will help ensure our nation’s future aerospace leadership.”

Those are lofty expectations, but the endeavor has the ingredients to make it happen.

At the core of the proposal is the mostly vacant, 396,000-square-foot former Triumph Composites Inc. plant on Flint Road. The facility was constructed as a Boeing Co. plant decades ago specifically for aerospace manufacturing. 

And while Lakeside Cos., which owns the old Triumph building, and Gonzaga University have led the consortium developed to vie for the tech hub, heavy hitters like NASA, Boeing Co., and Lockheed Martin Corp. are involved in the consortium, along with about a dozen other manufacturers and private concerns.

In addition to private-sector involvement, 10 universities, community colleges, and school districts have thrown in their support, as have local governments, tribes, labor organizations, business associations, and others. 

Inland Northwest business leaders often reflect on the past and ponder, "What will be Spokane's next Expo '74?" referring to the Herculean effort that brought the World's Fair to the Lilac City. Or, "What will be the next Momentum?" referring to the massive economic development effort that diversified an Inland Northwest economy that had relied heavily on agriculture and natural resources. 

The tech hub's full impact likely won't be known for years, but the current effort already shares some characteristics with Expo and Momentum, with a broad consortium coming together for the greater good to outperform expectations. 

Put another way, Spokane has a history of punching above its weight class, and the tech hub carries on that tradition. We should be happy about that and proud of ourselves for the moment, then get ready to get to work, as more is to be done.