Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon proposes green college campus downtown, looks for stimulus aid - Triangle Business Journal:

ibitasony.wordpress.com
The Phoenix mayor would like to see the sustainabilityg campus located near 7th Avenue and Van Buren Street just west of thedowntown core. He said and would be the centerpiecees of thenew campus. Downtownm Phoenix already is home to a growing ASU campus and a biomedicao center that features programs from ASU and the Universittof Arizona. Those existingt higher education assets are locatedin downtown’s core and to it easterhn edges. The city of Phoenizx has been lobbying federal agencies includingthe U.S. Departments of Education, Energy and Housing and UrbamnDevelopment — to help fund the greenm campus via the American Recovery & Reinvestmen t Act of 2009.
The $787 billio federal stimulus offers education and research grants for solar and alternative energgy and in othersustainability niches. Gordonb will be in Washington next week talkin g to Obamaadministration officials, including Vice President Josepyh Biden about the stimulus. That will include meetingse withthe U.S. Department of Laboe about the sustainability effort as well as work forcd development fundingvia ARRA. Therse is a Rio Salado College adult education center off of 7th Avenuse nearFilmore Street.
Gordon said Rio Salado owns some othed land and there are vacan parcels that could be used fora sustainability/green The campus would be geared towarc environmental and sustainable architecture, engineering and workforcr development. Gordon said more specific plansx and details of the west downtown campuws are being worked and could be unveilexdthis fall. ASU has been upping its greebn and sustainable programs at its Tempe andother campuses. Gordon, ASU Presidenty Michael Crow and the Greater Phoenix Economic Counci also want to bolsterthe Valley’s solar energg production and make the region a centet for alternative energy source.
That includesx Gordon wanting the city to becom e the Silicon Valley for sola energy and reducethe Valley’s urban heat islancd by painting rooftops