The federal agency that prints paper currency might relocate to Prince George’s County, officials said. The move is only a proposal, but leaders are already excited about the jobs that could come to the area.
“Building a new engraving and printing facility in the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center will add 1,427 well-paying federal jobs to Prince George’s County,” said David Iannucci, president and CEO of the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation.
Iannucci estimated that these workers would collectively earn $15 million per year.
The employees at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing would join a dense economic hub. The Economic Development Corporation noted that there are 2,000 retailers and 25,000 employees within five miles of the suggested site.
Officials advised that the construction would take about 1,700 construction workers. They would make a total of $1.5 million throughout the project, the Economic Development Corporation explained in a newsletter.
The write-up informed that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing currently uses a 107-year-old building in Washington, D.C. The agency has looked into updating that facility, but it would be too costly, the release indicated.
The report mentioned that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommended building a new site. Doing so would save taxpayers more than $600 million, leaders shared.
The Economic Development Corporation wrote that Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan (R) and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) are on board with the plan. If completed, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing would join the likes of the Goddard Space Flight Center, the U.S. Census Bureau and Joint Base Andrews as federal operations with offices in Prince George’s County.
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