DEPARTMENT: Economic Development
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Rene Dominguez
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: 6
SUBJECT:
This ordinance authorizes a loan agreement between the City of San Antonio and Texas Biomedical Research Institute (TBRI) in the amount of $250,000 in connection with the planned expansion of its Biosafety Level 4 Laboratory (BSL-4 Lab).
SUMMARY:
Staff is requesting City Council action on the following item related to the TBRI BSL-4 Lab expansion and an Ordinance approving a $250,000 Economic Development Incentive Fund (EDIF) loan with a potential term through 2025.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Texas Biomedical Research Institute (TBRI) is an independent, not-for-profit biomedical research institution. TBRI aims to unravel the mysteries of chronic and infectious diseases through innovative thinking, creative problem solving and cutting edge technologies. Since its founding in 1941 by Thomas B. Slick Jr., TBRI has gained worldwide recognition in scientific and academic communities for the quality of its research. TBRI's scientists work each day to improve human health by being a world leader in lifestyle and infectious disease research. Each year, TBRI's scientists are engaged in more than 200 research projects.
Located on a 200-acre campus on the northwest side of San Antonio at 7620 NW Loop 410 in City Council District 6, TBRI partners with hundreds of researchers and institutions around the world, targeting advances in the fight against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, psychiatric disorders, problems of pregnancy, AIDS, hepatitis, malaria, parasitic infections and a host of other infectious diseases. TBRI has also developed vaccines for deadly agents of bioterrorism such as Ebola, anthrax and botulinum neurotoxins. In addition, it has identified genes that influence heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other common health problems.
TBRI is a world class bioscience research institute and the major contributor to the City's leadi...
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