CORALVILLE -- A 26-member committee has been formed to gather community input and define some of the projects included in the proposed $180 million indoor rain forest.

The committee will concentrate on education, research, arts, communications, and tourism and business, said Nancy Quellhorst, the vice president of the Iowa Environmental/Education Project.

The project is slated to break ground later this year near the intersection of Interstate 80 and First Avenue in Coralville. It is expected to open in 2008.

The advisory community is made up of: Sheila Boyd, General Growth; Scott Carpenter, Department of Geoscience at the University of Iowa; Lois Crowley, Iowa City Community School District; Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville; Coralville Mayor Jim Fausett; Rick Hanna, Carpenters Local 1260; Kelly Hayworth, city administrator of Coralville; John Hudson, Iowa Arts Council; Sandra Hudson, Iowa Incubator; Beth Jorgensen, Iowa City Community School District;

Terrence Neuzil, chairman of Johnson County Board of Supervisors; Mark Phillips, RSM McGladrey; Wayne Peterson, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Joe Raso, Iowa City Area Development Group; Randy Rayner, Laborers Local 1238; Dick Rex, former mayor of West Branch; Chris Rohret, Iowa City Community School District; Sheila Samuelson, 2004 biology graduate of University of Iowa; Chris Scarpellino, Loparex Inc.; Josh Schamberger, Iowa City/Coralville Convention & Visitors Bureau;
 
Jill Scholz, Family Foot Care; Linda Schreiber, Iowa City Area Development; Sharon Thomas, Iowa City Community School District; Neil Trott, Canterbury Inn; Deanna Trumbull, Trumbull Consulting; and Ed Williams, Biowa.