Scientific Ghost Town: $1 Billion City Will Have No Residents
A location in New Mexico has been chosen to be the site of a new technology development and testing center, which will see huge amounts of money invested to build a fully fledged town; only it will have no residents, leaving some to label it a "scientific ghost town."
Officials in Lea County have put forth a plan build a $1 billion city without residents in order for researchers to test various technology from renewable energy to new traffic systems and even automated washings machines, according to AP.
Sam Cobb, mayor of the neighboring city of Hobbs, said that the new tech city is like an old abandoned town, but added that it will be an important development for the economy of local areas.
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"It brings so many great opportunities and puts us on a world stage," Cobb told AP.
The town will come complete with houses, roads and commercial structures. The houses will even include basic necessities, such as plumbing, appliances and furniture. The layout of the town will be based on a town in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
The town will serve as a testing ground for technology in infrastructure and the remote site was used in an effort to minimize the impact on residents. Researchers will be able to test new technology for electric grids as well as smart cars.
The city will be built by Pegasus Holdings and the company is aiming to break ground for the new city called CITE, also known as the Center for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation, by June 30.
"The only thing we won't be doing is destructive testing, blowing things up -- I hope," Bob Brumley, senior managing director of Pegasus Holdings, told AP.
"CITE has the potential to fill an enormous void that currently exists in the world of testing and evaluation," Brumley said in a statement.
"Since first announcing the project, we've received tremendous interest and support from around the world from many who recognize the time has come for such a unique project," he said.
