Tech Village officially opens in Conway

A milestone in the economic development of the Mount Washington Valley was marked Wednesday with a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Mount Washington Valley Technology Village in Conway.

The culmination of nearly six years worth of work put forth by the Mount Washington Valley Economic Council, Technology Village has been created with hopes of establishing an economic hub in the region that will stimulate the growth of technology-intensive businesses.

In its 2002 preview of Technology Village, members of the Mount Washington Valley Economic Council predicted the project would generate 500 new jobs, $20 million in annual wages and $1 million in property taxes within 10 years of its completion.

Technology Village is housed on 81 acres along the Saco River in Conway. The initial phase includes a single 25,000-square-foot facility, home to the Business Resource Center and Learning Center.

SCORE and The School-to-Career Program are among the current tenants already established in the Business Resource Center. An area earmarked as incubator space has welcomed five start-up businesses to date.

The Business Resource Center will offer tenants business counseling, access to business-related technology, including Internet access and teleconferencing, training and education, networking opportunities, shared administrative support and a business library. The general business community will be able to take advantage of many of the resources as well.

Granite State College is already established at the Village’s Learning Center. Plymouth State University and New Hampshire Community Technical College also will be offering classes that swill be used by MWEC to promote technology-based learning in the region.

Plans include construction of new technology-based businesses on the remaining 30 buildable acres surrounding the initial structure. Jogging and walking trails will wind through the remaining green space, which also will act as a buffer to adjoining properties.

Gov. John Lynch was among those who spoke at the June 28 festivities, which that included tours of the new building and the ribbon-cutting.

Also speaking as part of the ceremony were Matt Crow, communications director of the federal Economic Development Administration, Department of Resources and Economic Development Commissioner George Bald and Steve Reno, chancellor of the University System of New Hampshire. – TRACIE STONE