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Computing Center Construction Milestone Marked

By Paul Tuthill

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-995344.mp3

Holyoke, MA – A milestone was marked today in the construction of a high performance computing center that will aid researchers at the top universities in Massachusetts. The state of the art center also has the potential to boost the fortunes of one of the poorest cities in Massachusetts. WAMC 's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports..

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick hailed the progress on the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computer Center in Holyoke. He called the completion of the first phase of construction a vital step forward in helping spread the state's innovation economy westward
The steel structure for the 90 thousand square foot building has been completed. Patrick and nearly a hundred other dignitaries celebrated with a traditional iron workers topping off ceremony. The final steel beam, 18 feet long, adorned with a small evergreen tree and American flag was raised into pace.
Governor Patrick announced the project in 2009 putting up 25 million dollars in state funds to assure speedy construction. The computing center is being built at a cost of 95 million dollars by an unprecedented consortium of private and public universities, including M-I-T, Harvard, and UMass, along with high tech companies such as Cisco Systems and EMC. The chairman of the joint venture, Robert Brown, the president of Boston University said the project is proceeding on schedule.
Brown said winning the world wide research race depends on the kind of intense information technology that will be housed in the Holyoke center.
Holyoke, which was a thriving industrial center in the first half of the 20th century, is now one of the poorest cities in Massachusetts. It was chosen for the high performance computing center because of the availability of relatively inexpensive hydro power and the proximity of old industrial canals to supply water to cool the computing infrastructure.
The downtown construction site for the high performance computing center is surrounded by many empty brick mill buildings. Holyoke Mayor Elaine Pluta says with the new center as a catalyst the city plans to eliminate the blight and attract new businesses.
A task force, co-chaired by Timothy Brennan of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, is working to expand the economic impact of the high performance computing center region-wide.
Plans have also been announced to utilize the high performance computing center for educational programs in the public schools in Holyoke and Springfield.