Purpose: Develop for Eastern Idaho a world-class center in collaborative research and graduate education in the subsurface and energy science disciplines. The center will provide a research environment where education, research and technical development by university, industry and government scientists can thrive. Expected outcomes are an increase in higher education and advanced degree programs, research, technology transfer and support for the economic growth of the region.

Gov. Dirk Kempthorne expects the facility to be an anchor for an envisioned "technology corridor," with university facilities joining high-tech businesses concentrated along Interstate 15 between Rexburg and Pocatello. The center fulfills initiatives identified by the governor's Science and Technology Advisory Council to ensure a highly skilled workforce, promote university-industry collaboration in R&D, help commercialize Idaho technology, support a technology-based economy, and establish Idaho as a technology leader.

Future home: A 50,000-square-foot facility on the north portion of University Place in Idaho Falls. It joins three existing buildings on 26 acres of land on the southern portion of UP. The Phase Two development of UP will be on a 70-acre tract to the north, requiring new roads and infrastructure. Exact CST building site is yet to be determined. Consultants are NBBJ Architects of Seattle Wash., who will work with other Idaho Falls architects and engineers as appropriate.

Partners/Occupants: The facility will be occupied jointly by UI and ISU, as are the other buildings at University Place. UI is the project management lead and is the agent through which funding passes. Other major tenants are INEEL, occupying about half of the space, and the Inland Northwest Research Alliance. The center initially will house about 90 professionals with a total annual estimated salary of $2.5 million; and it will attract an estimated $7.5 million in annual grant revenue.

Timeline: Official ground breaking for the facility is tentatively scheduled for late August. Anticipated construction contracts will be bid in spring, 2002. Completion target is 2003.

Features: The facility will house geo-sciences, computational, analytical and academic research laboratories; space for INRA-sponsored collaborative research, offices for graduate students and visiting scientists and state-of-the-art telecommunications.

Costs/Funding: A budget of $10-11 million has been established for the CST. Firmer cost estimates will result when the comprehensive project scope is detailed this summer. The State of Idaho provided $5 million (from the $30 million given to Idaho by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a 1995 court settlement for INEEL activities.) Sen. Larry Craig was instrumental in securing nearly $2 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the project. Lease income from tenants, other grants and fund-raising will offset expenses.

The leaders say:

Gov. Dirk Kempthorne:

"In January (2001), we finalized a science and technology strategic plan for Idaho to keep our economy competitive and create a highly skilled workforce. Today, we're backing those words with a concrete financial commitment to help develop a new world-class research facility in eastern Idaho.

"This facility will be a tremendous public-private partnership. Students will be learning under the same roof where researchers are developing the next generation of cutting-edge technologies - technologies our industries can use to create new jobs."

UI/ISU Presidents:

"We're committed to turning research capabilities into business capabilities," said UI President Bob Hoover. "This facility will give the universities resources to strengthen our advantages in environmental science, information technology and other fields, and then translate those advantages into new products and companies."

"This facility will promote greater collaboration between industry and the universities," said ISU President Richard Bowen. "It's an important step in achieving the vision of a regional technology corridor along I-15, and will be a boost to the assets we already have."

To see the conceptual drawing of the site plan, or to access the PowerPoint presentation about the CST, go to www.its.uidaho.edu/uicommunications/news.shtml and click on photos