Ground Broken on Chemours Discovery Hub

A rendering of the Chemours Discovery Hub at the STAR Campus

University of Delaware Star Campus facility will house 330 researchers and technicians

By Roger Morris

Chemours Company’s CEO Mark Vergnano was joined this morning  by Gov. John Carney and University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis in turning the first shovel of earth for the construction of the company’s new $150 million research and innovation center located at the university’s STAR Campus in Newark. Representing the first major investment in Delaware by the two-year-old DuPont spinoff, it will house 330 researchers and technicians when it is completed in 2020.

“Today is more than a photo op,” Vergnano said. “This moment represents something else ““ it represents scientific discovery.” He also announced the official name of the new building ““ the Chemours Discovery Hub. It will contain 312,000 square feet of labs and offices fronting on the S. College Ave. entrance to the 272-acre campus, formerly the site of the Chrysler automotive plant, and is located midway between the university’s main campus and I-95.

Assanis pointed out that the Chemours project was the fourth groundbreaking ceremony at the rapidly growing science campus since June. “This is a wonderful day for the university,” he said. “We feel like Christmas came to the University of Delaware one week early.”

Gov. Carney called former governor Jack Markell to join him on the podium “for all the things he did that I’m now getting credit for.” Carney said Chemours represents for the state a “bridge between the past and the future.” Senators Tom Carper and Cris Coons, U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester and many state government officials were also in attendance.

Architect for the project is L2Partridge, and IMC Construction is the general contractor.