Aviation maintenance center planned near Tinker

<br>(Oklahoma City-AP) -- A 600 (m) million dollar aviation maintenance and overhaul center is being planned near Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City. <br><br>The center could help Tinker avoid the next

Thursday, August 7th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- A 600 (m) million dollar aviation maintenance and overhaul center is being planned near Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City.

The center could help Tinker avoid the next round of base closures and realignment, scheduled to begin in 2005.

The Oklahoma Industries Authority is contracting with Battelle (buh-TELL') Oklahoma to buy the land and build the center on 350 acres just east of the base.

Battelle is a nonprofit charitable trust.

Battelle says the center will create about one-thousand jobs and hopes to break ground during 2004.