BonnerSprings.com

Manhattan is one of five finalists for the new National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility, Kansas officials announced Wednesday morning.

Manhattan and Leavenworth had been among the final 16 sites; Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Kan., and U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. announced that Manhattan had survived the cutdown.

"I'm thrilled that Kansas remains a strong contender to host the NBAF facility," she said in a release. "Not only would Manhattan's scientific resources prove invaluable to NBAF, but the facility would tremendously benefit Kansas. Its construction would pump half a billion dollars into our local economy, enhance our state's reputation for excellence in bioscience research, and, most importantly, allow Kansans to lead the way in modernizing America's biodefense capabilities."

There was no immediate further word on other finalists for the new facility, which the federal government is expected to spend $450 million developing.

Jay Cohen, undersecretary for science and technology for the Department of Homeland Security, briefly inspected the Kansas sites in May.

The high-security facility will replace an aging lab in New York and be used to work on potential threats to plant, animal and human health.