DATE: December 12, 2006
CONTACT:
John Kelly, 864-656-3015
jkelly@clemson.edu
WRITER:
Sandy Woodward, 864-656-1220
sandra@clemson.edu
Budget and Control Board approves funding for Restoration Institute
CLEMSON — The South Carolina Budget and Control Board today approved Clemson University’s request for $10.3 million in infrastructure bond funding to support the Clemson University Restoration Institute (CURI), a research center in North Charleston. The Board requested clarification of the contract with the Friends of the Hunley at the January 2007 meeting.
The CURI research center will be located on 82 acres of land at the former Charleston Navy Base. The property includes the Lasch Conservation Center, current site of materials science research and the H.L. Hunley submarine restoration. Clemson will use the funds to develop a master plan for the site, upgrade the Lasch Center, demolish unusable buildings, improve infrastructure and begin phase one of a graduate education center to support research conducted through CURI.
“The Budget and Control Board’s action gives Clemson the ability to move ahead with the Restoration Institute,” said John Kelly, vice president for public service and agriculture at Clemson, who is leading efforts to establish the institute. “We believe the Restoration Institute offers many economic opportunities and is a great fit with existing programs in the Charleston area. The first step will be to develop a master plan for the site and to purchase critical equipment for the advanced materials group to use in the Lasch laboratory.
“We appreciate the vision and dedication of Sen. Glenn McConnell, Mayor Keith Summey and the City of North Charleston, the Hunley Commission and the Friends of the Hunley. Their commitment to restoration led Clemson to locate the institute in North Charleston. This research site will allow us to involve more partners – both public and private – in restoration efforts across many disciplines.”
CURI was established in 2004 as the first formal academic organization focused on the restoration economy, created to bring together a wide range of experts and researchers. The restoration economy is based on the revitalization of existing areas through new development, using a variety of disciplines, including ecosystems restoration, materials engineering and historic preservation. The goal of the institute is to drive economic growth by creating, developing and fostering restoration industries and technology.
Long-term plans call for construction of additional buildings to house commercial tenants, historic preservation and restoration partner facilities and other members of the restoration research community. Specific emphasis areas include historic preservation, use of advanced materials in design and construction, urban ecology and environmental conservation and restoration.
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