The Quad Cities is no longer under consideration for hundreds of federal jobs scheduled to leave the Washington DC area later this year. Tuesday the US Department of Agriculture announced the list of possible sites has been reduced from 136, to 67.
Last year, the department announced plans to move the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture. And it invited communities to bid for the two offices with a total of more than 600 jobs. One of the bidders was the Quad Cities, led by the Chamber of Commerce.
It proposed putting the two USDA offices on Arsenal Island, in office space that's currently vacant.
The department says site selection criteria include location, a qualified labor force, and
locations with work hours compatible with all USDA office schedules. It will also consider cost of living and quality of life.
Iowa sites still under consideration include Ames, Ankeny, Des Moines, and Council Bluffs, while in Illinois there are nine locations - all in the Chicago area.
