Texas offers $100 million to lure bio lab

By MICHELLE ROBERTS
The Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO - Texas officials are prepared to offer $100 million in incentives to the federal government to lure a new laboratory for dangerous diseases to San Antonio, Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday.
San Antonio is one of six finalist sites vying for the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, a $451 million lab that will study some of the world's most virulent diseases.
Local and state officials had previously offered about $44 million in incentives from various funds, but Perry said he's committed to seeking another $56 million from the state Legislature. Lawmakers meet again in January, after the site selection is expected to be completed.
Perry declined to say specifically what the money would be used for, saying it should be as unencumbered as possible to allow for the Department of Homeland Security's infrastructure or other needs.
"These dollars are put in place so we can compete with the other interests across the United States," he said.
DHS officials plan to choose a site for the lab, which will replace the existing one on Plum Island, N.Y., by the end of the year. The lab could stay on the island, but in addition to San Antonio, other possible sites include Flora, Miss.; Athens, Ga.; Manhattan, Kan.; and Butner, N.C.
To decide which will work best, DHS will consider the land, construction costs, proximity to an available work force, community reaction and other factors, said DHS spokeswoman Amy Kudwa.
The finalists are also being asked how they might help cover infrastructure and other costs since the preliminary cost estimates are only for the building, she said.
Kudwa declined to say what other finalists have offered to attract the new lab.
But Perry and San Antonio officials said the incentive offered was needed to keep the city competitive.
"In a perfect world, we wouldn't have to do this," Perry said. But "if it will bring jobs and wealth to Texas, it's appropriate for us to do that."
San Antonio unexpectedly saw telecommunications giant AT&T Inc. relocate its headquarters to Dallas earlier this year, and Toyota Motor Corp. idled its Tundra truck plant because of poor sales. So officials are anxious to land the lab.
"This is probably one of the most important projects this community has worked on in a number of years," said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.
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On the Net:
Department of Homeland Security laboratory page: www.dhs.gov/nbaf

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