Let me first say thank you to Governor Patrick in his instrumental role in delivering the new computer center for Holyoke. The infusion of $100 million in capital to our downtown and the scores of jobs that will be associated with this project is just the shot in the arm our great city needs. "Industria et Copia" is our motto and from the Latin it means the Industry and Supply or Resources to meet that industry. Holyoke today in partnership with numerous corporate and academic heavyweights from throughout the Commonwealth has once again been the place where big things can happen and is meeting the needs of our newest industries.
As your City Councilor, I will do everything in power to make sure Holyoke prepares for our newest partner and make sure they receive the open arms they deserve. I will also be continuing to work hard to make sure this project spring boards the city to new opportunities.
It is a great day indeed for many of us who have been working so hard to revitalize our downtown. My hat is off to all involved!
Here is today's story from the Republican:
Holyoke to be hub of high tech
Friday, June 12, 2009
By KEN ROSS
kross@repub.com
HOLYOKE - Gov. Deval L. Patrick and the presidents of the University of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston University joined numerous officials and residents Thursday to announce plans to build an $80-million to $100-million high performance computer center in the city, which will also harness the talent of Cisco Systems and EMC Co.
"It's a landmark collaboration," Patrick said during the press conference held in a standing-room-only conference room in the city's public library.
Many others also touted the high-tech facility, which will house a large number of high-speed computers and serve as a location for cutting-edge collaborative computer research in climate change, biofuels, life sciences, clean energy and other research which relies heavily on computation.
"This (project) will advance the commonwealth as a world research leader," UMass President Jack M. Wilson said.
"For these universities to remain at the forefront, this center is key," MIT President Susan Hockfield said.
Boston University President Robert Brown also praised the collaborative nature of the project. "A partnership like this is breaking new ground in the commonwealth," he said.
All the parties involved in the project gathered Thursday to sign a letter of intent to work collaboratively on the project. Officials will now spend the next 120 days (putting the deadline at Sept. 19) creating an action plan for the project, including discussing possible site locations, financing for the project and creating a timeline for construction, according to a statement issued by Patrick.
The state has not committed a specific amount of money for the project, Patrick said. The same is true for the other parties involved in the project, which Patrick stated is estimated to cost between $80 million and $100 million to build.
Patrick said he hopes the universities or private companies like Cisco Systems or EMC Corp. take the lead in funding such a facility. Other universities and companies have also expressed an interest in being part of the collaboration, Patrick said, but he declined to be specific.
Exactly how many jobs will be created by the facility also has not been determined, Patrick and others said. However, Mayor Michael J. Sullivan said earlier this week he estimated the facility will "produce thousands of jobs." Sullivan remained optimistic Thursday. "The sky's the limit now," he said.
Sullivan added he did not know who will technically own the property, an issue which would make a difference in terms of property taxes. Educational institutions are exempt from paying city property taxes.
And while the exact location for the facility has not been selected, Sullivan reiterated that the facility would be located downtown near the city's canals. "Along one of the three canals is the optimum place," Sullivan said.
Several officials touted the low-priced, environmentally conscious electricity created mainly by city-owned turbines powered by the Connecticut River as one of the key reasons why they chose to locate the facility in Holyoke.
"The use of green technology is a key feature here," Patrick said.
The governor, Wilson, Hockfield and others talked about the city's high-speed fiber optic network as another reasons why they chose to locate the facility in Holyoke.
"We quickly realized Holyoke is just the place for this" facility, Wilson said.
More than 100 people attended the press conference, including many residents, politicians and business leaders. All of them cheered and clapped loudly throughout the press conference.
"It (the new facility) designates the city of Holyoke as a place that's open to high tech," said Brendan Ciecko, the founder and president of Ten Minute Media, a Holyoke-based Internet marketing company. "It's really a mammoth step forward."
Sullivan agreed. Asked what he thought the project meant in terms of the city's future and it's image, he said, "I think it makes a big difference."
Or when asked to rate the project on a scale of one to 10, Patrick said, "This is a 12. This is what the whole commonwealth and country needs."
©2009 The Republican
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