Associated Press - March 6, 2009 8:25 AM ET

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - City Councilors adopted a resolution identifying 182 acres of undeveloped land south of the Las Cruces airport for a commercial aerospace business and research park.

Companies that can guarantee new jobs paying at least the average wage for Dona Ana County residents would be eligible to build within the research park.

The city's economic development coordinator, Christine Logan, said the designation protects the opportunity for land in the West Mesa Industrial Park to be specifically used by the aerospace industry.

Initially, most of the land was projected to be used for aerospace research and development, but a deadline passed Sunday for the Rocket Racing League to acquire the land to build its own aerospace park.

Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, http://www.lcsun-news.com

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