UNLV Starts Construction on Research and Technology Park; Facility Expected to Generate 25K New Jobs When Complete
LAS VEGAS, NV – Ground has officially broken and construction is underway on the first of at least 12 buildings that will encompass the Harry Reid Research and Technology Park at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), a $30 million project that the university says should generate as many as 25,000 jobs once it has been completed.
The first building, is expected to be completed next spring and is slated to come in at four stories and take up approximately 115,000-square feet. Developers working on the project are still in the process of finalizing when the entire twelve-building park will be completed, which is slated to consist of as many as 12-15 buildings with up to 1.5 million square feet of office space. The university anticipates that the facility will attract numerous technology businesses to the Las Vegas region.
Located adjacent to Durango Drive and the 215 Beltway, UNLV acquired the 122-acre property for the park in 2005 but was forced to delay construction efforts until now due to financial hardships brought on by the recession. Once completed, the park will offer UNLV students ample facilities to conduct research and engage in business and economic development projects; in addition, the park will also have space available for numerous businesses and partners, although who these specific enterprises are have yet to be divulged.
One complete and fully operational and with full occupancy, the par is expected to provide a vast array of employment opportunities for local residents and boast of an anticipated economic impact upon Las Vegas in the neighborhood of $2.6 billion. UNLV, considered a research university, has stated their goal as becoming a notable research institute and indents to pour approximately $120 a year into their efforts by 2025, focusing on research into technology and increasing the number of patent applications they submit on an annual basis.
The initial building currently under construction is known as an “innovation building,” and will feature offices, research space and lab space, in addition to amenities such as a basketball court and electric vehicle charging stations. UNLV and a corporate sponsor – to be announced in the near future – will be situated on the top two floors of the four-story building, with the bottom two floors being made available to businesses to lease.
Tenants are currently being sought and will be announced once signed, UNLV officials said.
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