Dubuque Wins Federal Economic Development Award

U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce John Fernandez presented city officials in Dubuque, IA today with the highest national award for economic development excellence.

The Iowa city was awarded the 2009 Economic Development Administration’s Excellence in Economic Development in Historic Preservation-led Strategies citation for the redevelopment of the Roshek Building as a new home for IBM’s Global Information Technology Service Delivery Center. Mayor Roy Buol accepted the award in the lobby of the historic Roshek Building.

The $100-million IBM project also received an Honorable Mention in Business Facilities’ 2009 Economic Development of the Year awards. The new IT center is expected to create up to 1,300 high-tech jobs by the end of 2010. It will generate an estimated $189 million in direct economic impact and more than $70 million in direct personal income (wages).

“[IBM’s choice of Dubuque] is one more sign that people around the country are discovering what we have known all along—that with our highly skilled workforce, inviting business climate and quality of life, Iowa is a great place for business,” said Iowa Gov. John Culver.

Working together, the Governor’s Office, the Iowa Department of Economic Development, the City of Dubuque, Dubuque Initiatives, and the Greater Dubuque Development Corp. reached an agreement with IBM on a 10-year lease to occupy the historic Roshek Building in downtown Dubuque. IBM plans to upgrade the building with energy-efficient technology to make it a green facility.

“We selected Dubuque for our new delivery center based on several criteria, including strong positive public-partnership within the city, its competitive business model, and the talent and skills that Iowa has to offer,” said Mike Daniels, senior vice president, IBM Global Technology Services.

According to Mayor Buol, Dubuque’s sustainability initiative played an important role in IBM’s selection of the Iowa site. “The adaptive reuse of a historic structure in the heart of our downtown illustrates our shared commitment to sustainable development, historic preservation and community revitalization,” Buol said.

The IBM announcement followed the addition by Microsoft of a large server farm in West Des Moines and Google’s $600-million data center in Council Bluffs.