NOAA Awards Contract for Building the Pacific Regional Center

Officials at NOAA announced a few days ago that they managed to award a new contract for the construction of the main facility of the Pacific Regional Center (PRC).

The complex will be located on Ford Island, in Honolulu, and its main job will be to coordinate the efforts of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the area.

The new contract was awarded with money secured under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which allots some funds for research in the United States.

The Chicago-based Walsh Construction Company is the main beneficiary of the $131.9 million grant NOAA had lined up.

The American organization is not alone in its efforts. It is collaborating with the US Navy in bringing the bases on Ford Island back to life, giving them a new purpose beyond their past ones.

The main facility, which is the final phase of the NOAA PRC project, will finally realize the Administration's dream of modernizing and consolidating federal bases on the island.

The upgrade will allow the organization to augment its programs in the Pacific. Some of the goal these research initiatives have include supporting management of coastal and marine resources.

In addition, they also play a critical part in weather, tsunami, and climate prediction in the Pacific area. When the refurbishing project is completed, it will include more than 300,000 square feet of space.

Three renovated hangars will include laboratories and offices, which will provide NOAA with the capabilities it's currently lacking in the Pacific.

“This Recovery Act funded project is central to our mission in the Pacific region,” explains the NOAA Administrator, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, who is also an US under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

“This will be a world-class science, and operational research facility, enabling us to further promote international scientific, as well as local educational, partnerships,” the official adds.

“The construction of the Pacific Regional Center will create approximately 3,000 jobs in Hawaii, real opportunities for businesses and working families struggling to find opportunities during these difficult economic times,” says US Sen. Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii.

“The construction of this center is a significant investment in Hawaii and the Pacific Region, and I laud the efforts of everyone involved in this project for recognizing Hawaii’s importance as a research and operational hub,” he concludes.