Florida Construction Jobs Created by Research Facility
A new research facility will create Florida construction jobs.
Construction on SRI International’s high-tech research facility is slated to begin this week with a groundbreaking ceremony, nearly two years after state and city leaders urged the company to come to St. Petersburg, according to an article by the St. Petersburg Times.
City leaders hope the 38,000-square-foot, city-owned facility, located adjacent to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, will mark a new era in job creation and encourage other high-tech companies to make St. Petersburg their home.
The $8.6-million project will provide 500 temporary construction jobs at a time of economic downturn. According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area’s construction industry employed 73,100 workers during September 2008, down from 74,800 workers during August and a decrease of 9.5 percent from last year.
The county and state have agreed to cover $10-million for construction. If the project goes over budget, SRI will cover the rest. Construction should be completed by November 2009.
The city will lease the facility to SRI for $1 in annual rent for 10 years. In return for tax incentives, SRI agreed to employ 50 workers by the start of this year and hire another 10 to 15 each year, reaching 100 employees by 2012. The jobs are supposed to carry average salaries of $55,000 to $63,000.