Earlier today, we were invited to attend the ground-breaking event for a new state-of-the-art facility for Yahoo, located near the University of Illinois Research Park and the iHotel. They’re preparing for a 40,000 square foot facility with a few hundred Yahoo employees to fill that space. Yahoo currently occupies 24,000 square feet of office space, which is the largest full-time employer in the Research Park.
The Yahoo representative that was heading up the ceremony was Scott Burke, Senior Vice President of Advertising and Data. Plenty of folks from around Champaign-Urbana attended, whether they be involved with Yahoo, the local media, the University, the Research Park, investors, state officials — you name it. Speakers included Burke, as well as Chancellor Phyllis Wise, Mayor Don Gerard, and Adam Pollet, Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce (there on behalf of Governor Quinn).
Here is what the rendering of the new space is supposed to look like, followed by some photos from the event itself:
Mayor Don Gerard signing the new Yahoo banner.
Purple shovels for the ground-breaking ceremony, which were most likely used to scoop some snow out of the way to get to the dirt itself.
The majority of the speakers, bookended by U of I President Easter (far right) and Peter Fox of Fox Development (far left).