Economic Development Activities at the Young - Rainey Science, Technology, & Research (STAR) Center

Project mission was to mitigate the adverse economic effects of closing the U.S. Department of Energy's Pinellas Plant in Largo, Florida. This project was to facilitate the physical renovation of the plant and to help maintain and create jobs for the employees that worked at the plant when DOE terminated its operations. It also included finding and attracting high technology, industrial manufacturing and related firms to utilize the space and high tech equipment to remain at the plant. Stakeholders included the affected plant employees, local government and related public organizations, and businesses and universities in the Tampa Bay Florida area. The $17.6 million funded for this project helped produce 2,780 jobs at the Young - Rainey STAR Center at an average cost of $6,328. Rental income from STAR Center tenants and third party cash input amounted to approximately $66 million over the project period of 13.3 years