Public invited to USD Discovery District Groundbreaking Ceremony Thursday May 18, 2017
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The USD Discovery District, an 80-acre contemporary corporate and academic research park under development in Sioux Falls, invites the public to a formal groundbreaking ceremony this Thursday May 18, 2017 at 10:30 AM CST. The event will be held at the development site located at 4801 North Career Avenue–just west of the University Center in northwest Sioux Falls.
The 30-minute program will celebrate the construction of South Dakota’s first innovation community, highlighting the positive impacts, while recognizing the collaboration and private-public partnerships that have made this historic project possible. The district’s president, Rich Naser, Jr. will serve as master of ceremonies. Other scheduled speakers include:
- The Honorable Governor Dennis Daugaard
State of South Dakota & Governor’s Office of Economic Development - President James W. Abbott
University of South Dakota & USD Discovery District - Angela Belden Martinez, Regional Director
S. Economic Development Administration - Bob Sutton, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Avera Health
President, South Dakota Board of Regents - The Honorable Mayor Mike Huether
City of Sioux Falls - The Honorable Christine Erickson
Councilor, Sioux Falls City Council - Mark Shlanta, CEO, SDN Communications
Immediate Past Chairman, Forward Sioux Falls
Guests may enter the site from the north at W 60th St. N (SD Highway 38) and N Annika Avenue and follow the frontage road. Plans have been made to accommodate inclement weather.
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About the USD Discovery District
The USD Discovery District is an 80-acre contemporary corporate and academic research park under development in northwest Sioux Falls. The goal of this urban innovation community is to provide access to research facilities and infrastructure for research business development and spur innovation-driven businesses in an environment for students, researchers, and entrepreneurs. When fully developed, it will include an estimated 26 privately developed buildings and nearly 2,800 people will work for companies in the District.
Anchors for the park include the University Center, the Graduate Education and Applied Research (GEAR) Center including its pilot-scale cGMP facility, and USD’s Biomedical Engineering Program (BME). The District development is private-public partnership between the University of South Dakota, the Board of Regents, Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Forward Sioux Falls and the City of Sioux Falls.