Innovation Park at Penn State Receives PA SelectTech-Site Designation

September 14, 2000

University Park, Pa. --- Innovation Park at Penn State, the University’s research park, has been designated a PA SelectTech-Site under a collaborative initiative designed to help communities attract new businesses and jobs.

Sam McCullough, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, made the announcement of the park’s selection today (Sept. 14) at Innovation Park. Penn State was the first stop on a statewide tour for McCullough and other key members of the state’s economic-development team to announce the 102 designations, which are in 77 sites in 26 counties.

Penn State President Graham Spanier; David Carver, president, Pennsylvania Economic Development Association; and Karen Dickinson, director, Innovation Park at Penn State, also participated in the Penn State event marking the announcement.

According to program organizers, the PA SelectSites/SelecTech-Sites initiative identifies sites that now are ready for development and helps to market those sites to potential job-project investors. The program was announced by Gov. Tom Ridge and the Governor’s Action Team last January as a collaborative partnership with the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association, the Team Pennsylvania Foundation, and a broad consortium of electric gas, rail, and telecommunication utilities, as well as key technology stakeholders across the Commonwealth.

The consortium worked in consultation with Fluor Global Services to evaluate hundreds of potential sites around Pennsylvania. All locations designated as SelectSites and SelecTech-Sites by Fluor meet rigorous requirements, including a detailed description of site characteristics, workforce information, educational resources and opportunities, community resources local utilities, detailed infrastructure information, including capacity and availability, transportation access, and telecommunications infrastructure.

A key component of the initiative is a focus on technology as applied to site selection. While a few other states have attempted to assure sites are ready for development, none have focused on the important technology needs that companies face today.

The SelectSites and SelecTech-Sites initiative evaluated locations for eight development types, heavy industrial; office-technical services center; office-call center; warehouse and distribution/logistics; research and development; and commerce-development sites.

Fluor Global Services developed specific criteria to differentiate between a SelectSite and a SelecTech-Site designation. Those sites, including Innovation Park at Penn State, designated as SelecTech-Sites meet a greater level of technology requirements.

The University’s Board of Trustees adopted Innovation Park at Penn State as a phased-development project in 1987 to assist in the economic revitalization of the Commonwealth. Phase 1 includes the Technology Center building, the Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel, the Materials Research Institute Building and Daybridge Child Care Center. Phase 2, begun on Aug. 29, 1997. with a groundbreaking ceremony, includes the Lubert building which is at full occupancy. A multi-tenant building is under construction for March 2001 occupancy and another multi-tenant building is on the drawing boards. Eventually, Phase 2 will provide an additional entrance to the park when I-99 is completed.

***bah***

Contacts:

Barbara Hale (814) 865-9481 (o)/ (814) 238-0997 (h)

Vicki Fong (814) 865-9481 (o)/ (814) 238-1221 (h)

EDITORS: For more information, contact Karen Dickinson, park director, at (814) 865-2880 or by email.