UI breaks ground on Blue Waters Data Processing Center

CHAMPAIGN – With excavators scooping dirt and dust flying a few feet away, University of Illinois officials and researchers on Wednesday celebrated the building of a facility that will eventually house the world's fastest computer.

"This is where, in many ways, supercomputing was born with the birth of ILLIAC IV," said Thom Dunning, director of the National Center for Supercomputing at the University of Illinois, referring to a previous supercomputer developed at the UI. "The circle's closing with the facility that we're building," he said.

The 95,000-square-foot Blue Waters Data Processing Center is being built at the northwest corner of Oak Street and St. Mary's Road in Champaign.

Also on this date

• Voters outside C-U defeated sales tax for school facilities
• Champaign school board to revisit 'Kite Runner' issue
• Administrator at UI selected as LAS dean
• Central High School Alumni Garden to be dedicated Friday
• Rantoul officials to give budgets a close look
• Rejection of tax hampers ambulance service in Villa Grove
• Rejected Rossville fire tax increase may get 2nd chance
• Rankin fire station plans move forward with voter approval
• Crescent-Iroquois High School will be deactivated
• Obituaries

» More