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With $500 million in state support, UI-led research institute officially underway in Chicago
Wednesday, Jun 20, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller By Hannah Meisel * Lost yesterday in a flurry of other news (about whether Gov. Rauner would rescind his offer to send Illinois National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and his claim that he’d done more for African Americans than any other governor) was a pretty major announcement involving ~1.3 percent of the state’s overall FY19 budget (yes, did the math). The Discovery Partners Institute is getting off the ground with $500 million in state support and a $6 million pledge from the University of Illinois over four years. DPI is imagined to be an innovation hub for research and tech, which would help Illinois compete with other hot tech areas like Silicon Valley. Yesterday’s event was the announcement of the site, “in a large swath of undeveloped land just south of Roosevelt Road near downtown Chicago,” according to the News-Gazette, and an announcement that a DPI office has opened and has planned its first classes for the fall. More info from the governor’s office…
* The governor’s official account was also tweeting artist renderings of the project yesterday…
* Rauner and Mayor Rahm Emanuel were on hand at the event, even complimenting each other on making the DPI a reality. Rauner has long pushed for the project, even before running for office. Also present: Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady. * From a Tribune article about the project in October…
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- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:29 am:
I look forward to learning what exactly that $500 million over four years will be spent on.
I think the concept is great, but right now that’s all that this is, a concept. I’m sure the developer is salivating at the dangling of so much public money.
Also, if U of I is putting in $6 million, how much are U of C and Northwestern putting in? Nice that they included Tel Aviv University for some strange reason, but I assume they won’t be contributing any money.
But it’s a terrific press release and the renderings make it look like it might actually get built someday.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:34 am:
That artist’s rendering is actually the proposed Scientology John Travolta Mind Enlightenment center.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:35 am:
This is a very worthwhile and cool endeavor. Could care less who gets the credit for it. Hope all of them take credit to make sure it continues to come to fruition. Finally. Some good news.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:37 am:
V-Man, if that’s what it is, it’s perfectly placed here. lol
- What? - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:40 am:
Pay the money you stole from AFSCME first before this or Obama museum..
- Roman - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:42 am:
In a lot of ways, this initiative is the best Amazon HQ2 recruitment tool we have. Good for luring more Google and Apple gigs, too.
The guv’s PR staff could use a Chicago geography lesson. The site does not border Bronzville and Pilsen.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:45 am:
Tony would be so proud.
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:48 am:
So U of I/ Bailey off the ground. Could be a solid development and GovJunk able to accomplish what Rezko and a long chain of others failed to do. It will be interested to see how quickly any facts roll out on this one.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:50 am:
It’s important to note Leader Dunkin, Leader Brady, and Governor Rauner during the 99th General Assembly refused to fully fund for both fiscal years higher education in Illinois.
All three felt that taking steps to reform Illinois was more important than a short term budget stalemate… and while all three tout this… because higher education is critical for states wanting industry… and specifically cutting edge industry… industries look to states and the higher education located in states, all three for an entire General Assembly felt a budget stalemate was more important than fully funding higher education in both of those fiscal years.
- Chris Widger - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 11:52 am:
==It’s important to note Leader Dunkin, Leader Brady, and Governor Rauner during the 99th General Assembly refused to fully fund for both fiscal years higher education in Illinois.==
The Democrats held full funding hostage in order to maintain an unsustainable status quo. They had choices and didn’t explore them because their policy goals were more important than children.
- Rural stuff - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:01 pm:
I read a recent report that stated WIU’s deferred maintenance was right around $500 million. Add up the deferred maintenance from the state universities and community colleges and the number will surely be staggering.
I get the need for something like this, but Illinois can’t take care of what it’s already built.
- DuPage - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:04 pm:
Exactly where is this $500 Million coming from? Are vendors going to have to wait longer? Pension funds? Employee medical insurance? Roads?
- illini - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:10 pm:
Second attempt to post -
This comment represents a “first” for me. As critical as I have been of our sitting Governor, his BTIA(tm) and all his Superstars this is probably the only accomplishment that he can point to with any pride.
Getting the project to this point has taken far too long, in my opinion, but this represents a milestone and a promising investment for the future of Illinois.
Our Governor did not do this on his own - many others deserve to be commended as well.
This is a huge investment but it exactly what our state needs at this time. And the investment will pay off handsomely.
- lost in the weeds - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:13 pm:
So if students are at this facility, will they also take classes at other universities. They are only hiring 90 faculty, will they teach all the courses that someone will need. Not sure I understand what is being created at this new location. I guess there is UI Chicago not too far away.
- City Zen - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:16 pm:
==Exactly where is this $500 Million coming from? Are vendors going to have to wait longer? Pension funds? Employee medical insurance? Roads?==
Did you ask those questions when the new education funding reform passed? That’s an extra $300M per year we don’t have either.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:22 pm:
===The Democrats held full funding hostage in order to maintain an unsustainable status quo.===
Nope. Good try. Nope.
Rauner vetoed, as only a governor can do, higher education funding, and both Raunerite caucuses in the 99th General Assembly refused to help override the vetoes.
You are either willfully ignorant to blissfully unaware of the happenings of the 99th General Assembly and the full funding denied by Raunerites and Bruce Rauner.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:26 pm:
Not sure what this is yet, but the noises are nice. As long as it’s not a monorail, I imagine it will be a plus.
Reminder, it was the whiz-kids down in C-U who more than anyone invented the Internet for universal usage, with the Mosaic project leading directly to Netscape.
“Revolution” is a word chronically overused, but they truly ushered in a communications revolution that changed everything, and it started at an Illinois public university.
- titan - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 12:51 pm:
That was fast … just a few weeks ago there was lamentation that U of I does not have a facility in Chicago …
- A guy - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:03 pm:
==but they truly ushered in a communications revolution that changed everything, and it started at an Illinois public university.==
I’m thrilled that you pointed this out to so many who either forgot or never knew this. Good show.
- Ted - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:15 pm:
Lots of consternation about this in Urbana, where there is fear (and jealousy) over resources and emphasis being diverted to Chicago. But the Chicago folks aren’t exactly thrilled either because DPI is not going to be administered by UIC, despite being located just a couple of blocks from campus.
- filmmaker prof - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:34 pm:
Nice of them to create the “Dots per Inch” institute for technology workers. What, you mean no one had any idea that DPI already stood for something else in the world of design & technology? With all those big brains on the project?
- filmmaker prof - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:37 pm:
word, those “whiz-kids” in C-U who invented the web browser did it on their own time. Their bosses at the U of I refused to let them work on it on company time. In other words, they would have never been allowed into the DPI with their little project that transformed the world.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 1:53 pm:
–word, those “whiz-kids” in C-U who invented the web browser did it on their own time. Their bosses at the U of I refused to let them work on it on company time. In other words, they would have never been allowed into the DPI with their little project that transformed the world.–
FP, they certainly used the resources of the NCSA in developing the rudiments of Netscape before shopping it out West.
As far as “own time,” and “company time,” from my experience with that breed of cat, there’s no difference. They work in their sleep.
- illini - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 2:10 pm:
Without a doubt there have been many breakthrough discoveries made at my Alma Mater, many good and some bad. In computers and technology there are few peers in the academic universe that can claim the breakthroughs that have been made by the researchers on campus.
I am old enough to have been one of the “guinea pigs” in an undergraduate class that was being used to fine tune the parameters and possibilities of the PLATO program.
That was 50 years ago. Just imagine the possibilities if what DPI can do today. Expect good things.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 3:36 pm:
word, those “whiz kids” were also not swimming in dough when they were at UIUC, either. My old man hired them for eight bucks an hour to pull computer cable in his new office building.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 3:39 pm:
–My old man hired them for eight bucks an hour to pull computer cable in his new office building.–
Did you keep in touch? Maybe house sit their cribs in the Bay Area when they’re out on their yachts?
- cc - Wednesday, Jun 20, 18 @ 7:24 pm:
This will be great to see as soon as we can see the completed, staffed, safe and comfortable housed veterans living in their new home.