BANGOR – A statewide coalition has launched a campaign for a $34.9 million bond issue on the June 11 ballot that is designed to promote quality jobs and economic growth.

The coalition, calling itself the Maine Economic Growth Coalition, unveiled a television ad Monday promoting Question 2, which calls for, among other things, $9 million to construct facilities for product development and support at the University of Maine and the University of Southern Maine; $5.5 million to promote medical research and development; and $1.5 million to boost tourism.

The ad will air beginning today.

The group also is promoting Question 1, a $28.5 million bond issue to capitalize the state’s school revolving renovation fund for repairs and improvements in public school facilities to address health, safety and compliance deficiencies and general renovation needs; provide grants to public educational institutions to install sprinkler systems in dormitories; renovate the Augusta East Campus Harlow Office Building of the Augusta Mental Health Institute; and provide a center for homeless teen-agers in the Portland area.

The coalition consists of The Jackson Laboratory, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Foundation for Blood Research in Scarborough, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, University of Maine, University of Southern Maine and the University of New England.

The bond calls for:

. $1 million to plan and construct a Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston, $30,000 to assist the Moosehead Marine Museum in Greenville in renovating the steamship Katahdin; and $500,000 to renovate the Center Theater in downtown Dover-Foxcroft. In these cases, local communities would need to come up with matching funds.

. $5.5 million for medical research and development by Maine-based biomedical research institutions to obtain matching federal funds for health research to cure disease and retain Maine graduates by providing quality Maine jobs.

. $4 million for the Municipal Investment Trust Fund to provide loans and grants to municipalities for public infrastructure to support economic development.

. $8 million to the Finance Authority of Maine to create and retain Maine jobs through the funding of community, regional and state business financing programs.

. $6 million to capitalize the Maine Rural Development Authority to facilitate job creation through the development and redevelopment of commercial and industrial buildings in Maine.

. $400,000 to renovate buildings and infrastructure at the former Winter Harbor naval facility into a Schoodic Education and Research Center. State bond funds would match $4,000,000 in federal funds.

. $540,000 to defend against terrorism by protecting the lives and property of Maine residents.

As part of the university-business collaboration, companies would contract to have engineering faculty and students help them solve daily manufacturing and engineering problems, said coalition spokesman John Diamond at a news conference at Eastern Maine Development Corp. in Bangor. EMDC is one of several economic development groups around the state that have endorsed Question 2, Diamond said. Also endorsing Question 2 are the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce. Several municipalities also have passed resolutions endorsing Question 2, including Brewer and Orono, he said.

Businesses would benefit from the collaboration because they would have a pool of employees and would be able to develop products and test them without having to raise large amounts of money for a special facility, said Diamond.

Students would be paid for their time and would gain experience, he said. The money for the biomedical research facility would help build laboratories and other space necessary for them to qualify for several million dollars more in federal research money, said Diamond, noting that the initiative is “part of a strategy to bring in more biomedical-related federal investment.”

Biomedical research facilities would use their research money to hire people and buy goods and services in Maine, Diamond said. “This all has a significant impact on the state’s economy.”

Donna Thornton, a member of the EMDC board and treasurer of the coalition’s campaign, said the bond issue is “the most comprehensive economic development bond to go before voters.

“There’s never been a bond before that totally focused on economic development,” she said.

The passage of Question 1 will ensure that the state has “safe, quality schools [that] are important in attracting and retaining businesses,” Diamond said.

The TV ad features Bangor businessman John Bragg, president of N.H. Bragg & Sons, a 148-year-old family business in Bangor; Lucy Rioux, Maine’s 1999 middle school teacher of the year; and Jonathan LaBonte of Auburn, a recent UM chemical engineering graduate.

Also appearing in the ad are Shane Yardley, a Bangor High School senior, and UM students Amy Appleton of Etna and Heather Small of Hermon.

Bragg and LaBonte appeared at Monday’s news conference to share their reasons for supporting Question 2.

Mainers must act immediately to stem the exodus of young people seeking better job opportunities in other states, said Bragg, concerned about the loss of “potential taxpayers.”

LaBonte said he has accepted a job offer in Massachusetts, not because he wants to leave Maine, but because there are no job opportunities here.

The ad may be viewed at the coalitions Web site, www.bonds1and2.com.