Bowling Green, Ky. - Kentucky Commerce Secretary Jim Host will help Western Kentucky University celebrate a ribbon cutting for the Center for Research and Development at 10 a.m. May 31.

Host will be joined by WKU President Gary Ransdell, Bowling Green Mayor Elaine Walker, Kentucky House Speaker Jody Richards and Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce President Jim Hizer in celebration of the transformation of the former Bowling Green Mall on Nashville Road. Two of the Center's tenants will also speak: Phil Womble, director of WKU's Applied Physics Institute, and Ed Tivol, vice president for intelligence and homeland security of EWA Government Systems Inc.

The Center includes 269,000 square feet under roof with about 86,000 square feet of retail space owned by the WKU Foundation and almost 183,000 square feet in commercial, public, economic development and research space. The commercial space includes a small business accelerator with 10 tenants.

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