DEED Awards Nearly $50 Million to Support Aerospace Expansion in Rosemount
ROSEMOUNT, MINNESOTA — The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has awarded $49.95 million from the Minnesota Forward Fund (MFF) to support the development of a new aerospace research and testing complex in Rosemount. The project, led by North Wind Test, LLC, is expected to create 40 new high-tech jobs and attract more than $191 million in private and federal investment.
North Wind Test to Build $191.5 Million Aerospace Complex in Rosemount
The new facility, developed in partnership with the University of Minnesota, will focus on advancing U.S. hypersonic testing, modeling, and simulation capabilities. Once operational, the MAC is expected to become the country’s premier site for hypersonic system research, development, and testing.
The initial construction phase of the $191.5 million complex will create approximately 40 new jobs and is anticipated to position Minnesota as a national leader in aerospace innovation.
North Wind Test, which has been a part of Minnesota’s aerospace industry since 1952, said the project reflects both a technological leap and a long-term investment in Minnesota’s high-tech manufacturing future.
Transforming Historic Land into a Modern Aerospace Hub
The Rosemount facility will be built on 60 acres of land located directly south of Meta’s data center, near the corner of the future 151st Street and just west of Blaine Avenue. The site is part of a 4,500-acre property that was once used by the federal government for gunpowder manufacturing during World War II, known as the Gopher Ordnance Works.
After the war, ownership of the land was transferred to the University of Minnesota, which has since used portions of it for research. According to David Meier, president of North Wind Testing, LLC, this location was also the original site of the University of Minnesota’s Rosemount Aeronautical Lab, which conducted wind tunnel testing from 1946 to 1962. The section of land designated for the new aerospace complex has remained relatively vacant since then, and environmental remediation and cleanup are necessary before redevelopment. North Wind Test officials noted that the project will include full remediation and repurposing of the land, transforming a once-contaminated site into a hub for advanced aerospace innovation and research.
In the long term, Meier estimates the facility will employ around 100 people.
A future home for the North Wind Test, LLC facilities and a preliminary look at what the facility might look like in Rosemount, Minnesota, were provided at the City of Rosemount City Council Meeting on February 18, 2025.
Written by: Will Wight
