FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Beth Herendeen, (727) 893-7465 or cell (727) 434-9882

COMMUNITY BREAKS GROUND ON JOB CORPS CENTER

St. Petersburg (Feb. 21, 2007) – Today, Mayor Rick Baker proclaimed “another great day for St. Petersburg” as he, joined by county, state and federal officials, broke ground on a new Job Corps Center in Midtown.

The Job Corps Center, the fifth such one in Florida, will be built on an 18-acre site bordered by I-275, Fifth Ave. S. and 22nd St. S. When finished, the eight-building campus will include vocational education facilities, a recreation center, gymnasium, administrative offices, a student service center, and two dormitories. Designated by the U.S. Secretary of Labor as an official Job Corps site, the federally funded center will house 300 students each semester, and will provide academic and career technical training, as well as high school and General Equivalency Diploma programs to financially eligible youth ages 16 to 24. The Job Corps project is made possible through partnerships that include the city of St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, St. Petersburg College, WorkNet Pinellas, Pinellas County School Board and Pinellas Technical Education Centers, BayCare Health System and Brighthouse Networks.

In August, 2001, Mayor Baker and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson visited the Job Corps Center in Jacksonville to lobby for federal funds to attract another Job Corps facility in Florida. St. Petersburg assembled the 18-acre site in the Dome Industrial Park, selling the site to Job Corps for $2.1 million. Those funds are being used to acquire more industrial parcels and create jobs in the Dome Industrial Park.

“It truly is another great day in St. Petersburg,” said Mayor Rick Baker. “We have worked for a number of years on this project, which will be extremely significant for the future of our city. This critical site is not only a key bridge geographically between downtown and midtown. It will also be a critical bridge for hundreds of at-risk youth who will transform their lives at this Job Corps site.”

On hand for today’s groundbreaking ceremonies were Job Corps National Director Dr. Esther R. Johnson, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, Rep. C.W. Bill Young, and County Commission Chair Robert B. Stewart.

Creating economic development in the Midtown neighborhood of St. Petersburg is a key initiative of the city. Deputy Mayor Goliath Davis said, “This will be a tremendous new asset for youth of Midtown and Childs Park, and a great addition to the neighborhood. Once these buildings come out of the ground, we anticipate a synergy of new projects along the 22nd Street S. corridor to join other successful projects already completed, such as the new Royal Theater, Johnnie Ruth Clarke Health Clinic, Jordan Park, the Carter G. Woodson African American Museum, St. Pete Clay Co. and Sweetbay Supermarket.”