Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is building a new aviation and engineering research center thanks to a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the grant on December 11, saying, “The completion of this project will help strengthen the region’s aeronautical sector, making the community a potential destination for both domestic and foreign investment.” The new facility is anticipated to create 387 jobs and generate $1.6 million in private investment, the university said.

Embry-Riddle selected an architect for the project and is hoping the facility will open in spring 2019, although the university is still finalizing the timeline. Plans call for a 20,000-sq-ft facility, of which 12,500 sq ft will be dedicated to the university’s Eagle Flight Research Center. The remaining space will be available for lease to partners that work with the university on aerospace research projects.

The university founded the Eagle Flight Research Center in 1998 to explore emerging aviation technologies. “Our continuing research will encompass aviation innovation projects such as alternative propulsion systems, electric and hybrid-electric aircraft, and electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL aircraft, as well as new fuels,” said center director Richard “Pat” Anderson.