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On Tuesday, July 17, Gardner Company, UNLV and the UNLV Research Foundation (UNLV RF) kicked off construction for the first innovation building of the UNLV Harry Reid Research & Technology Park (UNLV Tech Park) with an official groundbreaking ceremony. Representatives from Gardner Company, UNLV, UNLV RF and Burke Construction commemorated the occasion with a presentation and traditional shovel dig to signal new development for the research, technology and business park.
The groundbreaking for the four-story, 111,000 square-foot innovation building marks the start of the master-planned development envisioned by UNLV, the UNLV Research Foundation and Gardner. The UNLV Tech Park will serve as a catalyst to unite business, research and technology and advance economic development efforts in Southern Nevada.
“Gardner Company is immensely proud to be a part of the UNLV Tech Park project as we believe it will greatly help shape the research and innovation landscape here in Las Vegas and beyond,” said Dan Stewart, partner and vice president of development at Gardner Company. “A campus of this magnitude will foster collaboration and innovation across businesses, UNLV students, innovators and entrepreneurs and we look forward to seeing our vision come to fruition.”
Stewart began the ceremony with welcoming remarks and was then followed by Nevada Regent Sam Lieberman and UNLV Acting President Marta Meana, both of whom spoke of the promise of the new building to advance university research and economic development efforts. Kem C. Gardner, Chairman of Gardner Company, discussed the vision and development of the research park before announcing Gardner Company’s $1 million donation to UNLV RF.
Zachary Miles, UNLV associate vice president for economic development and executive director of the UNLV Research Foundation, concluded the ceremony with comments on the importance of research parks, community impact and future development.
“Research and economic development activities are on the rise at UNLV, and this building will help us take our efforts to the next level,” said Miles. “Research parks encourage more direct collaboration between industry and university research than is often possible on college campuses. This initial building will serve as a testing ground for new ideas, driving innovation through the creation of new products and businesses that will make both our university and community stronger.”
Managed and operated by Gardner Company in partnership with UNLV and the UNLV Research Foundation, the 122-acre UNLV Tech Park is located near the intersection of Sunset and Durango in Las Vegas. An initial economic analysis indicates that the campus, when fully developed, will create up to 25,000 new jobs and as much as $2.6 billion in direct and indirect economic impact in Las Vegas.
