HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSURF RESEARCH CAMPUS - ODP - 4-04B - MEDIA -AVA Solar ro s aci mity plan
�-)6ck .,, 3(ia�
Company announces it won't
build at corner of I-25, Prospect
BY PAT FERRIER
PatFerrier®coloradoan.cum
In a move that stunned
Colorado State University and
city officials, AVA Solar on
Thursday announced it was
abandoning plans to build a
large-scale manufacturing facility
on the southwest corner of
Interstate 25 and Prospect Road
in favor of a spot in Longmont.
AVA Solar was to be the
anchor of the new CSU Research
Foundation research campus,
bringing up to 600 jobs and
showcasing Northern Colorado's
commitment to renewable and
clean energy in a highly visible
location.
AVA Solar said it still intends to
begin pilot production of its cad-
mium telluride thin film photo-
voltaic modules at its existing
Fort Collins facility at I-25 and
Mulberry in the second half of
this year.
Dave Halter, vice president of
AVA Solar, said in a statement: "It
AVA
Continued from Page Ag
became clear that building a new
facility from scratch would take
longer than we could afford given
existing market conditions"
The company has leased the
building next door to its existing
facility, giving it the necessary
space to get into production this
year earlier than it thought,
Halter said.
And, he added, the company
found an existing building in
Longmont that was "perfect for
our needs that could start receiv
ing production equipment arriv-
ing in April"
Halter did not return phone
calls seeking comment Thursday
night.
CSU spokesman Brad
Bohlander said AVA's decision
was disappointing but does not
change CSU's plans' for the
research park.
"We were all hoping AVA
Solar would be the potential
anchor tenant, but we're still
optimistic they will locate their
headquarters and their offices
that are remaining in Fort
Collins at the park; but as far as
the research park goes, we're in
the master plan phase and talk-
ing with companies interested
in locating there"
The property swap and sub-
sequent rezoning was bigger
than just AVA,Atteberry said.
"obviously this is a setback,
but the vision that CSU has is
not based on one site selection
Pascal Noronha, president and
CEO of AVA Solar, said in a state-
ment the company plans to get
its products into the market
faster than the company thought
possible last year.
AVA Solar reaffirmed its com-
mitment to Fort Collins and
Northern Colorado. The compa-
ny will likely keep its headquar-
ters here and estimates having
150 employees in Fort Collins by
the end of the year and up to 500
in the region by the end of 2009.
The news came as a surprise
to the city, which traded the land
to CSURF for the research cam-
pus, and the university, where the
technology was developed and
decision, so - although, -it will
have an impact on the kind of
activity we see out there — we
had hoped to see dirt turning in
the next couple months — I am
confident CSU will hold strong
to its vision"
Fort Collins Mayor Doug
Hutchinson said he too was dm
appointed considering how
much work the city had already
put into the project and how
close it was to fruition.
.To have it go this far and then
have this happen is a particular
disappointment in my mind"
Hutchinson said the effort
Fort Collins and CSU are putting
into clean and renewable ener-
gy has set the stage for other
opportunities at the park.
"Given this is a great environ-
ment where there are great pos-
sibilities for synergy, it puzzles
me that this business decision
was made to not be a part of the
nexus of what's happening"
which has been financially back-
ing the company.
City Manager Darin Atteberry
told the Coloradoan on Thursday
that Noronha told him in an
"urgently called meeting" on
Tuesday of AVA's decision.
"It came as a complete sur-
prise; Atteberry said when asked
if he knew AVA was considering
other locations.
"Early on I knew they had
looked at all their options, but I
was under the impression that
Fort Collins was the home of
their company and that's where
they were going to stay"
See AVA/Page At 0