Ground breaking for new research park

Several state and federal legislators along with many SIU administrators plunged their golden shovels into the ground Friday afternoon to officially start construction on the $2.8 million Southern Illinois Research Park. The building will be complete in nine to 15 months and will employ more than 100 people.

"SIU brings world-class academics, research, athletics, art and music to our region," said Raymond Lenzi, associate vice chancellor for economic development and executive director of the research park. "This kind of excellence and impact we strive for here at the Southern Illinois Research Park." The research park will be located at 115 E. Pleasant Hill Road, directly in front of the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, the anchor building for the park.

U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Belleville, helped gather $860,000 in federal appropriations and grants for the park. "Today is just another step in the program in the progress we are making in southern Illinois," Costello said.

State Sen. David Leuchtefeld, R-Okawville, was among the legislators at the ceremony. SIU President James Walker, Chancellor Walter Wendler and Vice Chancellor John Dunn also attended the celebration. John Koropchak, vice chancellor for Research and Development said the research park will be a "suite of tools" to aid economic development in the region. He also said the research park will create new jobs, new businesses and bring a strong base of students, who in turn, will bring great ideas to southern Illinois.

The 20,000-square-foot multi-tenant research park is using concrete used from research developed at the University's engineering department. Sanjeev Kumar, associate professor in civil and environmental engineering, along with several graduate students found that bottom ash, a coal refuse product, would make concrete stronger when added to the mix instead of sand. He said all of the concrete used in the new building comes directly from the research he and his students developed.

Kumar said whenever the contractors need more concrete, his research group gets together and tests the concrete to ensure its quality content is the same throughout the building process.

"It's a time of pride for me and my graduate students that their efforts have resulted in some product that is commercially viable," Kumar said.