Governor Sam Brownback and the Kansas Congressional Delegation announced today the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has signed a land transfer agreement with the State of Kansas for the site where the National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF) will be built in Manhattan.

DHS announced its selection of the Manhattan site in 2009.

“Last week, I spoke with Secretary Napolitano and she made clear construction of the Central Utilities Plant should be underway without further delay. I look forward to planning a ground breaking in 2013,” U.S. Senator Pat Roberts said.

The approximately 46 acre site is located on the north side of the Kansas State University campus.

The state of Kansas has committed $105 million dollars of matching state funds to the NBAF project and $35 million dollars of research funding for transitioning the NBAF mission to Manhattan.

The $650 million laboratory will research and develop countermeasures to animal, human, and zoonotic diseases.  So far the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has invested more than $125 million into site preparation, engineering, design, and site specific risk-assessments.

A January 2012 economic impact report found the NBAF will employ approximately 326 permanent workers and support about 757 construction jobs.  It is expected to have a $3.5 billion economic impact on the state in the facility’s first 20 years of use.