The next 18 months will make or break the One Big Sky vision for Billings

One Big Sky district backers cite three reasons they’ve agreed to work in depth during the next year to 18 months with consultants and a Madison, Wisconsin, firm to articulate an economic development plan for downtown and the city’s hospital and higher education corridors.

One reason, Big Sky Economic Development’s executive director Steve Arveschoug http://www.bigskyeconomicdevelopment.org/ told The Gazette’s editorial board this week, is attracting and retaining enough workers to replace the 20,000 people expected to retire in the next decade, together with the 8,000 or so additional workers who will join the city’s growing workforce during that time.

The second, he said, is that private investment follows public expenditures.

MIKE FERGUSON [email protected]

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