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CITY OF LARAMIE LARAMIE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION P.O. Box C • 406 Ivinson St. • Laramie, Wyoming • 82073 PO Box 1250 • 2523 East Garfield St, Suite B • Laramie, Wyoming • 82073 Phone: [PHONE REDACTED] • Fax: [PHONE REDACTED] Phone: [PHONE REDACTED] • Fax: [PHONE REDACTED] www.CityofLaramie.org www.LaramieWY.org • www.ClimateCooled.com PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Gaye Stockman, CEO, LEDC August 3, 2012 David Derragon, Asst City Mgr, City of Laramie Cirrus Sky Technology Park Update August 3, 2012 (Laramie) (Laramie, WY) - The City of Laramie, in partnership with the Laramie Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), is developing plans for a technology park on the northern boundary of the City between 15th and 30th Streets. This project will take advantage of existing power and telecommunications availability at the site which are attractive to the rapidly growing “cloud computing” industry that caused Verizon to identify Laramie as an ideal location for a data center. Technology and cloud computing businesses are experiencing unprecedented growth and providewell paying jobs. “The Laramie Comprehensive Plan shows us that our citizens want higher paying, clean, green industries and this business park will cater specifically to that sector,” says Ward 4 Representative and Mayor Scott Mullner. A recent study by LEDC shows that Laramie is a regional and statewide technology hub with over 60 different businesses currently providing almost 500 jobs in the local economy. According to Gaye Stockman, LEDC CEO, “LEDC’s SNAPIT workforce survey revealed 30 existing technology based businesses in Laramie are planning on hiring an additional 140+ new jobs within the next couple of years. Growth of existing business, especially technology based businesses, provide a more robust economic benefit to the community. Having a place for them to expand with access to fiber optic connectivity and consistent power to is critical to their growth. The Cirrus Sky Technology Park provides opportunities that currently do not exist for Laramie’s high tech sector growth.” The project will capitalize on the economic synergy between Laramie and the University of Wyoming, highly educated workforce, cool climate and highly desirable lifestyle opportunities. “This isn’t your average technology business park,” says City Council Liaison to LEDC Joe Vitale, “it will include beautiful reservations for green space and open space and a bike trail along the ridgeline with a fantastic view.” The City and LEDC recognize the opportunity to attract international companies like Microsoft or Verizon has a finite window of opportunity and has moved forward quickly to take advantage of the business climate. A grant application will be submitted to the State of Wyoming Business Council in September to assist in bringing infrastructure and roads to the site to make it ready for development. If the grant is successful, funding would become available in January for construction of water, sewer, streets and telecommunications conduit in 2013. “We need to better induce site selectors to Laramie, by providing a “turn-key” site, complete with ready-to-connect infrastructure (water, sewer, power, fiber) and the time to do that is now,” says LEDC Chair Megan Overmann Goetz. For more information, please contact Gaye Stockman, CEO of LEDC, at telephone number 307-742- ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 Laramie Economic Development Corporation To attract, retain, and facilitate the expansion and development of basic business in order to achieve sustainable growth and improve the economic well being of Laramie citizens. Economic Development is a Process, not an Event! 2212.