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3/31/08 Promotion of USGS Science through Partnerships
On Friday, March 28, 2008 a partnership which began in 1988 was
honored for its significant achievements in the field of marine
science. The partnership of USF, City of St. Petersburg, and the St.
Petersburg Downtown Partnership began when the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS) selected St. Petersburg and USF as its home for a new national
research center. To date, representing 11 organizations, the region has
grown into the Southeast’s largest Marine Science district.
The USGS center committee selected St. Petersburg as its
destination and planned the renovation of the historic 1925-era Studebaker
building to meet the needs of its initial six scientists and staff.
In just five short years the staff (including scientists) grew to over 30
and a second wing was added to the campus. To date, its staff has grown to
120 employees with 90% of its employee base being scientists. This provides
a high-wage income industry profile for the city to attract multiple
scientific entities to the district.
USGS’ Phase III, included dedication of the C.W. Bill
Young Marine Science Complex with over 100 attendees present. Key speakers
and representatives included: Congressman C.W. Bill Young; Jack
Kindinger, U.S. Geological Survey; Bob Doyle, Deputy Director of USGS;
James Bennett, St. Petersburg City Council Chairman; and Judy Genshaft, President
USF. The complex has added 11,400 additional square feet to its existing
footprint on USF’s marine campus, which includes six state-of-the-art
lab facilities, dive lockers and administrative staff offices.
USGS’ reputation and partnership synergies has put St.
Petersburg on the map as a world class center focused on the understanding
and solving of critical problems facing the world’s coastal
resources. Its presence in Bayboro Harbor’s Marine Science
district also contributes to the City of St. Petersburg’s economy in
quantitative measures. On a yearly basis, it utilizes 5,000 hotel room
nights representing a $1 million impact on the region to welcome, educate
and host its visitors from around the world. Its presence was a
factor in SRI International selecting St. Petersburg, as well as the
selection by IOI-USA to host its Coastal Cities Summit 2009 running
February 9-13, 2009, in St. Petersburg, FL.
As an extension of USGS’s honorary dedication ceremony,
the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership held its quarterly membership
luncheon at the St. Petersburg Hilton downtown honoring the promotion of
science through the strength of partnerships. Dr. Peter Betzer, president
of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, shared that synergies and
striving efforts of all partners is the most impressive collaboration seen
and experienced through his marine science career. The region’s
long-term growth for the marine science industry along Bayboro Harbor looks positive and rewarding to the City of St. Petersburg, USF, and the St.
Petersburg Downtown Partnership due to its partners’ visionary
efforts.
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