Chris Proffitt/Eyewitness News North Bureau
Lawrence, August 26, 2005 - The wheels are in motion to get the Pentagon to relocate thousands of new jobs to Lawrence. Indianapolis and Lawrence must be 'sold' to the military about why the Pentagon should bring thousands of displaced workers here.
Elated Lawrence city officials call it the equivalent of Toyota moving to town. In this case, it's finance and accounting jobs.
"It's a rare day when a city gains jobs," said Lawrence Mayor Deborah Cantwell, "let alone this many jobs."
"This many" could refer to anywhere from 1,700 to 2,500 jobs by some accounts when the BRAC commission decided to shutter all but five DFAS locations.
DFAS Indianapolis, second only in size to the Pentagon as a military facility, has, by many observers, the upper hand in relocating over 6,000 employees.
"These are the jobs you can raise a family on," claimed Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson. "Send your children to college, buy a home and build a community."
The Lawrence community, from businesses near the Finance Center to Lawrence Township Schools, already put wheels in motion to welcome DFAS employees - no matter how many wind up transferred from around the country.
"They are good paying jobs," according to Kris Butler of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, "and we'll watch it walk away if we don't do something about it now."
Lawrence is already planning an 88 acre, $40-to-60-million city center not far from the Finance Center. That's one quality of life measure they hope will attract workers to live and spend money in the city and township.
By the city's owns studies, starting pay at DFAS Indianapolis is slightly less than its counterparts, but still an advantage.
Ehren Bingaman of the Fort Harrison Reuse Authority said, "From a business decision standpoint, the Department of Defense will pay less for employees, but the employee's dollar goes farther here."
Ultimately, the Department of Defense and DFAS will decide how many employees transfer to Lawrence, which, like the four other cities, is vying for thousands of jobs and prepared to convince workers that this is home.
Another ace for DFAS Indianapolis is the fact that the building is expanded and can accomodate additional staff. In some cases at the other four centers, moth-balled buildings would be reopened at great expense to the Department of Defense.
