Santa Fe Complex Is Closing (Business plan based on liberal dreams goes bust)

The Albuquerque Journal North ^ | May 30, 2012 | Kathaleen Roberts

[CedarDave]

The Santa Fe Complex, a combination science/arts think tank and business incubator, will close on Friday, ending a four-year city-subsidized economic development experiment.

After putting $340,000 into the project, the city in March sent the complex a letter expressing its concerns about the nonprofit’s own revenue production and denying payment on a $25,000 invoice, although the group’s contract with the city remains in place, said Kate Noble, special projects administrator with the city Economic Development Division.

But Santa Fe Complex founding director Stephen Guerin said the city funding is gone for good.

~~snip~~

The idea of the Santa Fe Complex was to bring together artistically inclined scientists and scientifically inclined artists to collaborate, with the idea of generating ideas or projects that would attract contracts, business and private funding.

Some of the projects that the complex has highlighted in the past included helping Venice, Italy, minimize wake damage in its canals; a high-tech sand box used to simulate wildfires; a project that helped San Francisco track young people in the mental health system and a plan to help the military deal with parts replacement on the battlefield.

The complex also has hosted a quirky schedule of public events — concerts, workshops, lectures, art and video exhibits, even game nights.

[upchuck]

nobama, the original crony capitalist, is deeply saddened.

[upchuck]

Finally! A liberal boondoggle that wasted none of my tax dollars.

[HIDEK6]

the city in March sent the complex a letter expressing its concerns about the nonprofit’s own revenue production

What did they expect?

They're NON-PROFIT!

They're doing what they were trying to do!

[RetiredTexasVet]

I would suspect that if they get a “do over”, they will be successful next time .... sorta like socialism .....

[oldbrowser]

The idea of the Santa Fe Complex was to bring together artistically inclined scientists and scientifically inclined artists to collaborate, with the idea of generating ideas or projects that would attract contracts, business and private funding.....

Santa Fe has always been proud to be known as the "city different". Almost 400 years old and still a small town.

[Recon Dad]

I don’t know where they situated this wonderful endeavour but it should have been up at St John’s College, it would have been a perfect fit.