There's exciting news.

And Cardinal Country, the University of Louisville's engineering students and faculty, have a new home.

The J.B.

Speed School opened its doors today to a new $90 million facility for research and student success.

Elected leaders at the opening say the state's $65 million toward this facility is a smart investment.

This is a special day because so many of us stood on what was a field right here a year and a half ago as we broke ground on a dream of a state of the art facility.

Today, with the hard work of so many, this goal has been reached.

My is a graduate of the Speed School.

My other daughter is a graduate from the business school here at the University of Louisville.

I am too.

So is my brother.

And so is my father.

So when you think about Louisville, Louisville drives what goes on in this state?

The state doesn't do well unless the city of Louisville does well.

And the city of Louisville doesn't do well unless the University of Louisville does well.

You will is a nationally recognized leader in driving innovation, economic growth and providing students with the education and experience that they need to succeed in the real world.

So this building frees up space that we can use to develop an applied engineering program that's designed to service the exact type of industries that are being brought here.

Over the past month, we've announced $7.6 billion of new investment, 1200 new jobs from companies like Apple, Ford and General Electric, and yes, to all the donors and everybody who works in the speed school.

They've all said we need more engineers.

Engineering is kind of hard.

Don't tell anybody that.

So students need to develop community so that when the going gets tough, they stick with the program.

This building is the only building on our campus that has so many collaboration spaces.

Spaces where students can congregate and develop relations.

Of course, study.

As I look back on my past few years here, I have spent many afternoons and late nights for study groups taking over every corner we can find in the library and other various study lounges across campus.

After stalking like hyenas to try to claim open tables, it always raises the question What if we had one dedicated place that could bring us together on this side of campus?

One space built for collaboration and creativity?

Today, looking at this building, I can now say we do U of L Speed School is celebrating a big year and more big news.

The school was founded 100 years ago in 1925.