Year: 12/22/61

Population: 57,023

Treasury: $2,179,541

Income: $46,557

Expenditures: $28,934

Net: $17,623

Summary and Impact

Initial plans were to build the campus to the northeast of the city. However, economic impact analysis showed an explosive demand for high-tech industrial jobs. Therefor, the decision was made to build the university on the previous site of the city park, which had not entered its second phase of construction at the time. A future site for the park is still under review. The community college was torn down and replaced with an engineering college, which was built directly adjacent to new high-tech zoning at the north end of the park. Legion field, the city's soccer stadium, was rebuilt farther south to make room for a 90,000 seat stadium for the UofA-Fairview Big Horns, built on campus. The overall impact of this university will be positive; higher education for Sims, more demand for commercial office and high-tech jobs, and interest from Fortune 500 companies move to our city.