[Editor’s note: This article has been updated to properly reflect Chris Carey’s title as a member of the British American Chamber of Commerce.]
BROOK PARK, Ohio (WJW) — Space and underwater research’s already rich roots in Northeast Ohio are about to get richer.
Chris Carey, a member of the British American Chamber of Commerce, believes the city of Brook Park just struck gold.
For months, Brook Park city officials have worked with Carey to attract Blue Abyss, a British company that is looking to build one of its state-of-the-art facilities in the United States.
“Blue Abyss is a cutting edge, UK-based company that is really revolutionizing the underwater world with their training and development center,” said Carey.
Carey said Blue Abyss will build its second developmental pool for space and underwater research in Brook Park, “to provide training and testing to these underwater technologies at the extremes.
“We are talking the extremes of space and deep sea as well,” said Carey.
The 13-acre facility will be worth around $235 million and create at least 120 new jobs.
The facility will be located near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and the I-X Center, if it passes its land inspection.
“It pairs so naturally with [NASA Glenn Research Center] right next door. It will really cement Brook Park and Northeast Ohio as the hub for aerospace,” added Carey.
FOX 8 received the following from Brook Park Mayor Ed Orcutt:
In the west end of Brook Park located by NASA Glenn Research Center, there is 12.78 acres of city-owned land on Aerospace Parkway that will be used for a first of its kind world-class astronaut boot camp.
The project will bring a 164-foot-deep pool to the training center to train astronauts to work on the moon and prepare for deep space exploration.
The path to the Moon and Mars travels through the State of Ohio, and thanks to Blue Abyss, Brook Park will play a leading role.
Brook Park Mayor Ed Orcutt