Wednesday, January 31, 2007
"This is an economic development project"
Tulane primate center kicking off expansion
Upgraded research facility estimated price tag is $63 million
TIMES PICAYUNE
By Bruce Hamilton
(excerpt)
Tucked away in the piney woods south of Covington, the Tulane National Primate Research Center has worked on important medical breakthroughs below the radar of most of its St. Tammany Parish neighbors for more than 40 years.
The complex took center stage Friday, though, gathering state and local officials and others from the community to mark the beginning of a $63 million expansion.
"This is an economic development project," said Mike Olivier, Louisiana's secretary of economic development. He said the construction represents a $192 million impact and the expansion will add 83 jobs.
Situated on 500 acres along Three Rivers Road southeast of Covington, the complex is the largest of eight federally financed primate research centers. It has more than 5,000 monkeys used in the study of diseases such as cancer, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, Lyme disease and leprosy.
Louisiana Politics
