Governor Rod R. Blagojevich announced today more than $3.2 million for planning and design of the Integrated Post-Harvest Processing Center for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), which will be the first phase of the South Farms Modernization Project.  South Farms consists of more than 2,700 acres for livestock and crop research and warehousing, and the modernization project will replace outdated research and education facilities, acquire more land, and integrate crop, animal and environmental research and education.  As part of the Governor’s Opportunity Returns economic strategy for the East Central region, the Integrated Post-Harvest Processing Center will create a workforce knowledgeable in the latest biotechnology necessary to stay on top of the world’s food and agriculture industries.  This cutting-edge project is another example of why Business Facilities Magazine ranked Illinois as the top state in the nation for biotech growth in 2005.

“Post-harvest research is critical to growing Illinois’ agricultural economy and creating jobs.  This state-of-the-art facility will encourage more research and help make sure that our agricultural leaders stay on the cutting edge of biotechnology,” said Gov. Blagojevich. 

The 60,000 square-foot center will include biotechnology, fermenting, corn milling and soybean processing laboratories and equipment.  The new facility is needed to replace outdated research and education facilities in order to keep pace with emerging programs in agriculture, environmental education and natural resource management.  The planning and design work also provides for site improvements, including extending utilities and roadways.  The total estimated cost of the project is approximately $20 million.

UIUC Chancellor Richard Herman commented, "This grant will allow us to create the space in which our researchers will work to identify new and better ways to convert agricultural products into useful energy. Their discoveries and developments will benefit not only the people of Illinois, but those all around the world."

“The Post-Harvest Processing Center will be a great asset for the University, the region and all of Illinois,” said State Rep. Naomi Jakobsson (D-Urbana).  “I want to thank Gov. Blagojevich for his dedication to education and for understanding how important the agricultural industry is to Illinois, and the many benefits the new Center will bring to farmers, producers, manufacturers and the biotechnology industry.”

“Most of the facilities currently located at South Farms were built between 1918 and 1926 and require increasing maintenance and labor costs.  The buildings are also not capable of accommodating the technology necessary to advance the food and agriculture industries,” said Capital Development Board (CDB) Executive Director Jan Grimes.  “Gov. Blagojevich wants to ensure that the new Center will include the latest advancements in biotechnology and will offer a real-world setting where new plant or animal characteristics developed in a lab can be tested.”

The UIUC’s Post-Harvest Processing Center will also be a “green building,” an energy efficient and environmentally-friendly facility.  Approximately $1.33 million of the $3.2 million announced by Gov. Blagojevich will be used to design and build the facility incorporating green principles, such as using natural light, water conservation strategies, environmentally-friendly paint, carpeting and other building materials, or solar and wind energy.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, studies have shown that investing 2 percent of a building’s design and construction cost in green materials and techniques results in a 20 percent reduction in energy and operating costs during the life of the building – a return that is 10 times the original investment.

“It is important for state government to encourage and demonstrate leadership in the green building sector of the design and construction industries to confirm the state’s commitment to the environment and to making government more efficient,” said Gov. Blagojevich.  “Constructing the Post-Harvest Processing Center using green building techniques seemed to be a natural fit because of the Center’s focus on biotechnology.”

Gov. Blagojevich signed a new state law last summer requiring CDB to identify at least three state construction projects as case studies for the use of green building materials and techniques.  The Post-Harvest Processing Center and the Workforce Development Center at Heartland Community College in Bloomington are two of the three state-funded projects being designed as green buildings.

Along with the Processing Center, the South Farms Modernization Project includes future plans for an Intensive Agricultural Research Facility, Animal Agriculture Facilities, Crop Complex and Natural Resources Facilities.

The Capital Development Board manages the construction, repair and renovation of state facilities across Illinois, including colleges and universities, mental health facilities, veterans’ homes and historic buildings.  Capital Development Board projects include the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the State Emergency Operations Center and the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta.

Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois’ history.  Since a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn’t work, the Governor has divided the state into 10 regions – each with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges.  Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to make each region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and more attractive to businesses.  It is about upgrading the skills of the local workforce, increasing the access to capital, opening new markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs.  Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach its economic potential.