Hannah Wood
hwood3@live.com
The Western Research Institute (WRI) will begin construction soon for its campus expansion that will take place on North Third Street. A development Agreement between WRI and the city of Laramie and was passed by the city council during a special meeting on Tuesday.
The project will cost $8,619,184. A $3 million grant from the Wyoming Business Council via the Business Ready Community (BRC) will be given to WRI to put towards the project. A BRC Special Assistance Loan of $3,619,184 will be needed to complete the project along with $2 Million Grant Match provided by WRI. The agreement states that no City of Laramie funds will be used for this project.
WRI CEO Don Collins told the council that he is “very thankful for the council considering the agreement”. With the efficiency enhancements the company will be able to lower costs to customers and the company would become more competitive.
WRI’s labs are currently housed in the old Bureau of Mines building on the west end of UW’s campus. Collins said this building was not built for computers and for the kind of research the WRI conducts today. The building that was built in the 1940s does not have adequate temperature control, said Collins.
The agreement reads, “WRI’s growth plans call for maintaining its existing workforce of 83 jobs and adding 20 permanent new jobs to the local economy.”
CEO of Laramie Economic Development Corporation and Laramie Business Council Dan Furphy told the council to support the agreement. He said that addition of jobs is not the only benefit the City of Laramie will see.
“This will be the first step of development for North Third Street,” Furphy said. He said he is very pleased that WRI has selected this area. Beautification and development will be able to take place with the WRI’s new development.
The building will become a $8.5 million asset to the City of Laramie.
The agreement passed with the present 5 senators voting yes. The project is expected to be complete and WRI will be open for business on its new campus in 2018.
