I attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the downtown technology campus. I then worked on a press release for the chamber with my internship supervisor, Laura Lee, and then wrote a news story for The Voyager paper which was then published online.
1. TheVoyager.net<br />Downtown Technology Campus Groundbreaking Ceremony<br />By Sara M. Surber Contributing Writer <br />Published: Wednesday, February 9, 2011<br />Updated: Wednesday, February 9, 2011 12:02<br />Sara M. Surber<br />Sara M. Surber<br />The Pensacola-Escambia Promotion and Development Commission (PEDC) officially broke ground on the Downtown Technology Campus on Wednesday during a special ceremony including elected officials and chamber board members.<br />quot;
Today's an exciting day for the PEDC, it's a day we see thing happen to help other businesses in the Pensacola Bay Area to grow and succeed,quot;
said PEDC Chairman Lewis Bear, Jr.<br />The Downtown Technology Campus between Florida Blanca and Chase streets can house buildings 15,000 square feet and up, accommodating up to 1,000 employees after full build-out. The urban campus will provide high-tech companies with shovel-ready sites with a high-speed technology infrastructure; creative environment with like-minded tenants; walking distance to downtown Pensacola businesses and entertainment venues; and easy access to I-110.<br />quot;
I want to thank our staff for putting up with me and Judy Bense for helping us with the archeological aspects of the project,quot;
said Senior Vice President of Economic Development for the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Charles Wood.<br />quot;
What started as a drawing on a scratch sheet of paper a few years ago has come to fruition today,quot;
said Kevin White, chairman of the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners. quot;
The city, the county and the chamber have closely collaborated on this project, and I'm proud to be a part of it.quot;
<br />The project is a partnership between PEDC, Escambia County, the City of Pensacola and the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.<br />quot;
With the groundbreaking of the new tech campus, the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce is taking a giant step forward in putting our area in a strong competitive position to be able to recruit new businesses to our community and create jobs,quot;
added City of Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward. quot;
I'm hopeful about the future of this project and the future of our city.quot;
<br />The city and the county contributed 9.2 acres of property for the project. The county and the U.S. Economic Development Administration will fund the on-site infrastructure. The chamber has already started marketing the campus to potential employers.<br />