At the groundbreaking of the facility for the Institute for Economic Development,
UTSA Downtown Campus, from left: U.S. Rep. Charles Gonzalez; Joe Krier,
CEO, Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce; State Rep. Robert Puente;
San Antonio Mayor Ed Garza; U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Economic Development David Sampson; UTSA President Ricardo Romo;
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte; UTSA Vice President for Extended
Services Jude Valdez; and Robert McKinley, UTSA Assistant Vice
President, Institute for Economic Development.
Construction begins on economic development facility
(March 26, 2002)--U.S. Department of Commerce officials were at the UTSA Downtown Campus today to take part in ceremonies marking the beginning of construction on a $6.4 million facility that will house the UTSA Institute for Economic Development (IED), which provides economic development technical assistance and training programs for business and communities throughout South Texas.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development David A. Sampson joined UTSA President Ricardo Romo, Congressman Charles Gonzalez, State Rep. Robert Puente, IED Director Robert McKinley and others in breaking ground for the project, funded in part by a $1.75 million grant from the Economic Development Administration.
"The Department of Commerce is pleased to partner with the University of Texas at San Antonio," said Sampson. "President Bush believes the way to create jobs is to grow the economy by encouraging investments in local communities. The new IED facility will enhance the region's success in attracting private capital investment and higher-paying job opportunities," Sampson added.
Romo said the 33,000-square-foot IED facility, designed by Ford Powell & Carson Architects & Planners Inc., will mark another milestone in UTSA's journey to flagship status, enhancing the university's triple mission of excellence in teaching, research and public service.
Swinerton Builders of San Antonio is the contractor for the project, which will be an extension of the existing Durango Building. Construction is expected to take a year to 14 months.
The IED, which comprises 10 centers and programs serving over 25,000 clients annually, currently operates from leased space at Kelly USA. When it physically rejoins the Downtown Campus in summer 2003, the IED will be able to better integrate its public service function with the full resources of the university, according to McKinley.
"More faculty can take part in applied research involving local and regional economic development issues, and more students can participate through service-learning activities assisting small businesses," he said.
The permanent facility will accommodate more than 70 part-time student interns alone, up from the current 15. There will also be space for 90 economic development professionals.
At the Downtown Campus, the IED will also be able to make full use of existing technology, such as distance-learning capabilities to extend small business training programs to rural areas. There will also be a teleconferencing center linked to banks, the U. S. Small Business Administration, and municipal and other economic development agencies, plus an automated library and business research resources, to serve as a virtual "one-stop" service center for small business development throughout South Texas.
See the IED
groundbreaking announcement and an artist's rendering of the new facility.
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
Construction begins on economic development facility
British
actors to perform 'Macbeth' at UTSA March 27-28
Mexican
novelist Carlos Fuentes to speak at UTSA March 27
JPL
air testing March 27 will not disrupt activities
UTSA
students to present audience-participation comedy
Roadrunner
debaters place fourth in Kansas tourney
UTSA
auto collision expert to speak March 28
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© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2001