Biomedical Facility Approved by DCOA
November 11, 2008
The Development Corporation of Abilene approved the $5.3 million budget for a new biomedical research center at its meeting Tuesday afternoon. The board received four bids, ranging from a high of $5.67 million to a low of $5.1 million.
Jeff Luther Construction, made the low bid, and DCOA chief executive officer Richard Burdine said that the construction could take about a year to complete. The more than 20,000-square-foot facility could hold six to eight biotech companies. Burdine said companies would not be recruited until the Life Sciences Accelerator is closer to completion. But he said that the project could bring 140 to 190 jobs to Abilene with an average yearly salary of $70,000.
Without local universities offering graduate level programs in those fields, Burdine said those new workers will have to come primarily from outside Abilene. "It brings new people and their children," Burdine said. But Burdine also said he would like to see faculty members at local universities work at the accelerator.
"We want to give (local faculty members) an opportunity to participate," he said. "It may be work they do during the summer or subcontract work. We want to see that involvement of the community grow in the whole biotech sector."
The accelerator will have spaces available for biotech companies to lease. "Part of the reason for building this is to provide the academic faculty a route from basic research to commercialization of their ideas," Burdine said. "(There are) other companies out there that need space to do their work and we will -- as we get closer to the building being open -- be working with our friends in biotech to further target our recruitment efforts."
The DCOA approved two other proposals Tuesday. The board approved $115,000 for an underground electrical loop in the Five Points Business Park and $50,000 to assist Global Energy Services in a training program for wind turbine technicians.
The board will not meet for its scheduled Nov. 25 meeting; it will meet next on Dec. 23.
By Jared Fields
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