By Mario Conde July 29, 2009
Calexico Chronicle

Calexico will soon become the international powerhouse of green technology development as the Green Technology Institute announced their plans to develop a Green Tech Park & Innovation Center at Towncenter Plaza.

Town center Plaza that is located in a 132 acre property located at the west side of the city limit boundary and north of Cole Blvd. Town center Plaza will be the largest industrial park in Calexico when built and its expected to bring 900 jobs to the City. The development will be the second largest industrial park in the Imperial Valley.

"What is good about Town center is that the entire infrastructure is all ready there. Anyone wanting to buy a lot will not have to worry about installing anything and it makes it easier for us to market the area." Said Daniel Fitzgerald, Manager of the Calexico-County Enterprise Zone. The developers of this project have already completed a street at the area and will be responsible for the completion of his part of Cole RD and Sunset. The City will be responsible for the improvements of Cole Rd thanks to a $3 million grant given by the United States Treasury. Fitzgerald said that the adjacent properties will be benefit by this grant when its put into use by the City. He said this project will increase the city's tax revenue, property taxes and will benefit both, the City and the County.

One of the developments that will be part of Town center is a Green Tech Park & Innovation Center. Calexico was chosen by the Green Technology Institute affiliated to the Tom Bradley Legacy Foundation. A Green Technology Park is a Green Technology Learning Center and its emphasis will be placed on project that meet energy-intensive application, have potential for commercialization, and provide "learning-by-doing" and "hands-on" opportunities for Green Technology Park trainees and students.

The Green Technology Institute was founded in 2005 and its focus is to bring awareness and assistance to building green entrepreneurs, technologies and businesses. In a phone interview with institute director, Les Hamasaki, he said that Calexico offers a perfect place because it's closeness to the border and since the Imperial Valley is being looked at as a future place for solar, wind, and geothermal production.

"We are going to be close to Mexicali and the Silicon Border and by working together we can become the bi-national hub of the world's leading regions in renewable energy production." Hamasaki said. The director of the Green Tech Institute said this area, including Mexicali that has a population of 1 million, is positioned to become the "Saudi Arabia of Green Power" as the nation begins its transition from the gray economy to the Green economy.

The Green Tech Park will use 18 acres of the first lot at the Towncenter Plaza and plans to use six acres as a regional showcase for green technology innovation that include the latest renewable, energy, water recycling, appliance efficiency, green transportation, and food processing technologies. The Green Tech park pretends to establish an alliance between the cities of Calexico and Mexicali to become the "Green Gateway to the Americas." Hamasaki said both entities contain various assents that could turn the region into a green international technology manufacturing and bioscience centers that could play a big role in improving the quality of life and combat climate change.
The institute joins President Barack Obama's initiative to invest in alternative and renewable energy sources. The goal of his administration is to have the United States generate 25 percent of our energy from renewable sources by 2025.

Hamasaki believes the International Green Technology Campus will help create a new generation of workforce that will be trained to create new green jobs for the future. Hamasaki said that they will develop a coalition between the public and the private sector.

"Cities have to cooperate too to have this happened. Calexico leaders need to look at the big picture and bring a collaborate process to have green economic development to the City." Hamasaki said.