Groundbreaking for Much-Anticipated East Lansing Project

It's been five years in the making, filled with ups and downs and questions about  funding, but it looks like the F-RIB is soon to become a reality.

Groundbreaking for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, also known as F-RIB, is today on the campus of Michigan State University.

Mlive.com is reporting that the facility will provide intense beams of rare isotopes not normally found on earth.  Scientists say that is just one of the benefits of the multi-million dollar project.

Congress approved $55 million in funding back in January and President Obama has allowed more money in the 2015 budget for the project.

Today's event will garner national attention when several members of Michigan's Congressional Delegation appear on hand for the groundbreaking, including Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow and Congressman Mike Rogers, Tim Walberg and Dave Camp.  Representatives from state and local government will be there as well as those from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Estimates indicate the project could create hundreds of permanent jobs and pump more than a billion dollars into the economy.

Construction on the F-RIB will begin in June.  The building should be completed by 2017 and operational by 2020.