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MONTGOMERY — Bidding will start immediately with construction expected to follow within 30 days on Phase 2 of the Robotics Technology Park at Calhoun Community College.
The state Board of Education approved funding for the $8.5 million project Thursday. This is the final step needed for the second of the park’s three phases.
Gov. Bob Riley, who first proposed the idea of a robotics campus and tapped Calhoun as its location, called the park “one of the more impressive things we’ve done.”
The park is being built in front of the former Delphi building on U.S. 31 across from Calhoun’s campus.
Alabama Industrial Development and Training Institute Director Ed Castile, who oversees park development and construction, said Phase II should be complete in October or November.
“We’re working with the architects to send out bid requests as soon as possible and to set a date for a bid opening,” Castile said.
Phase 2 will include a 35,000-square-foot building with a large open shop space, labs and classrooms for robotics research and development space. It will have a 53-acre outdoor space with a test track that will be bid separately.
Castile said the space will accommodate testing of unmanned robotics equipment.
It has indoor space with stairs to test vehicle ability to climb flights of steps.
He said one example of a project is defense-related, bomb sniffing robots for the military.
At last report, Phase 1 construction is past the 25 percent completion point. Phase 1 is a $17.6 million, 52,000-square-foot research and robotics training facility,
Official grand opening for Phase 1 is Sept. 15. The college plans to offer classes in the 2011 spring semester.
The third phase of the robotics campus will allow companies to build and adapt robots for new industries.
In this phase, companies will set up manufacturing lines, integrate software and equipment, test their systems, and train maintenance and production staff.
Castile and the project planners have not started working on Phase 3, although they would like to have the funding in place and the project started before Riley leaves office in 2011.
“I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to complete it,” Riley said. “This facility is already highly in demand. When completed, it will be the best robotics facility not just in this country but in the world.
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