Research Park - Future Expansion

[Patrick]

Well, since there's not a lot of news, I guess it's time to get on my soap box again.

With construction nearing completion at the research park (construction has started on a final segment of the complex - the Cytovance Phamaceutical Plant), I think it's time to begin thinking about future expansion opportunities. Space is filling up at recently completed Buildings #3 and #4 (the 5th building is the food court), and construction at the Stanton L. Young Phase II Research Building is nearing completion. The biotechnology business is booming in our city, and in years to come, more space will be needed to house research labs.

This need for expansion will require additional space for development. Obviously, after the Cytovance building is completed, the current tract of land at the research park will be fully developed. We might be able to squeeze one extra building on the south side, but for the sake of overall beauty of research park grounds, we may want that to remain a park like setting.

So, where to expand? And why whould we expand?

Well, the latter question is obvious. As long as there is a demand for the growing biotechnology field in our city, we should accomodate. The Presbyterian Health Foundation went out on a limb building the first few buildings, with few solid comittments to fill them. For a couple of years, the first building remained partially empty, and many were wondering if the dream of a research park would ever come true. Push ahead about 7 years. The dream has become a reality, with companies like Dianon Systems, Genzyme, and Cytovance anchoring the complex, and all 5 buildings nearing complete occupancy.

To the other question. Where? As I've already stated, most of the original tract of land is developed. I propose that we expand the research park north, across N. 8th St. from the current complex, just west of the OBI. There is currently an empty tract of land west of the OBI and south of Ratcliffe's bookstore (a place I've spent hundreds of dollars in); this land is ripe for development, providng a great opportunity for an expansion of the research park. This expansion should take the original goals for the research park to a higher level. Instead of focusing on structures alone, the expansion plan should pay special attention to every fine detail, with an emphasis on uniqueness and the creative class. I propose diverse architecture, a park-like courtyard with fountains in the middle, and gardens galore, all surrounded by 4-5 story research buildings similar to those across the street, only laced with architectural creativity. Obviously, these buildings (which would mostly serve individual research labs and local companies) should be intermixed with patches of undeveloped property, providing an opportunity to lure other large pharmaceutical companies to our state. We should encourage individual researchers to join together to form multi-million dollar local research corporations, similar in nature to the origins of once Oklahoma-based UroCor.

I firmly believe that as medicine progresses, biotechnology will be the field we need to explore and expand. With oil becoming a sign of our past economy, we must make biotechnology the new anchor for our local economy. I firmly believe in the saying, "build it, and they will come." Only if we plan with a vision, will biotechnology have such an impact on our city.

[metro]

I totally agree

[Patrick]

It seems like biotechnology is one of the few growing sectors in our local economy. We definitely need to capitalize on it. Although we probably couldn't attract larger companies like Pfizer or GSK, maybe we could attract more smaller corps. I think Genzyme was a good company to land a few years ago. They're nationally known. Even something similar to OMRF, a local research company, would be a plus for that property. OMRF has expanded from one building in the beginning to a campus of several buildings now. Their facility is impressive.

[floater]

Yes, I agree 100%. Your vision sounds like what should take place in the Flatiron, albeit without such large footprints and expanding space upward. And what about some infill of smaller structures in Auto Alley? I believe there's a height limit there, though.

Is that parklike area you're talking about on the OUHSC where that abandoned house is? And what's to the east of the campus?

[Patrick]

Yes, I agree 100%. Your vision sounds like what should take place in the Flatiron, albeit without such large footprints and expanding space upward. And what about some infill of smaller structures in Auto Alley? I believe there's a height limit there, though.

Is that parklike area you're talking about on the OUHSC where that abandoned house is? And what's to the east of the campus?

Right on floater! Expand the research park northward and westward....then expand the FlatIron District, a mixed use district, over to the the east near it......giving us a solid fully developed entrance into the CBD. I-235 remains the diving line between the two districts.

Yeah floater.....I think the land I was referring to is where the abandoned house is. It's right in behind the Oklahoma Blood Institute off Lincoln, between 10th and 8th Streets.

Towards the east, the campus ends on Lottie. The eastern tract of land consists of two sides, the Stonewall side and the Lottie side.

The Stonewall side consists of O'Donoghue Rehabilitation Institute, OU Children Study Center, Children's Hospital Parking Garage, College of Pharmacy, a parking lot, Student Union, College of Nursing, and the University Village Apartments/Townhomes (just opened up 2 years ago.....finally the Health Sciences Center has their own residential complex).

The Lottie side contains the campus maintenance buildings and the main student and employee campus parking. The VA Parking lot is just north of the campus parking lot. Also, the State Dept. of Mental Health and Crisis Center are located at the corner of 13th and Lottie.

Hey, I'll include a link to a map below. Lookin on the map, the area for the research park expansion would be just west of the Blood Institute, and just south of the Credit Union.

http://w3.ouhsc.edu/oral-diagnosis-r...f/oumc-map.pdf

[floater]

Thanks, Patrick. I find that I-235 barrier interesting. Hopefully, the development that occurs there along it will provide incentive to "cross the line". Founder's Plaza will be a nice thing for the pedestrians to come close to crossing, but I think some important building, such as some kind of Research Park support services center, should be located on the other side in the Flatiron. To foster the connection, attractive landscaping and bike paths across the bridges would help.

[floater]

but I think some important building, such as some kind of Research Park support services center, should be located on the other side in the Flatiron.

On second thought, that kind of tactic doesn't always work. Nevertheless, something should be done in the space between to make sure development doesn't become the "stepsister" of the Park. Market forces can prevent this, such as topnotch retail and housing that makes people want to cross I-235. But offices of independent biotech companies may not get as much of the synergy as they would on the east side of I-235. If more PHFRP research lab space could be built in the Flation, that would help. And I agree that any new major facilities should first be north and westward of the current park along the eastern side of I-235.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Yeah, it would be a good idea not to go around and build teeny weeny research parksa around the metro, but stick to big, fat research centers. I think they should tear down some of the unimportant ghetto land around it, and purchase the land by the OSBI. I will be furious the minute they cross I 235 however, I don't want them tampering office growth, which is more needed and important. This has the potential to grow big however.

edit: They already have a bunch of circle streets planned for Flatiron, and they have the OKC Town Centre planned for that area. A mixed zoning community of four story buildings, sorta like 18th street in Denver.

[SoundMind]

I am a research scientist at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Stanton L. Young Research Building. So I'm pretty familiar with this area and the vision for the research park. Currently, there are no plans to expand the research park. The final 2 buildings (listed as 3 and 4 by Patrick) are not even close to filling up. There's still a way to go. Maybe in the next few years demand will increase and the need for an expanded research park will exist.

[metro]

Oklahomans back medical research

By Jim Stafford
Business Writer

Oklahomans want more medical and health research conducted in the state and would be willing to pay for it with higher taxes, according to a survey released Wednesday.
A poll conducted less than a month ago revealed that 66 percent of the 804 Oklahomans surveyed said they would be willing to pay $1 a week more in taxes to support medical research.

The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive for nonprofit national health research alliance, Research!America.

While Oklahomans told pollsters that the state lags the nation in medical and health research -- only 21 percent said Oklahoma is a "leader" in medical research -- 98 percent of those who responded said it is important for Oklahoma to be a medical research leader.

The survey confirms what leaders in the state's biomedical research industry already suspected, said Michael Anderson, president of the Presbyterian Health Foundation, which supports medical research in Oklahoma.

"It's not surprising given the prominence of health issues that Americans would say 'yes, I would put a few bucks of my money into the research that can help me have a better quality of life,'" Anderson said.

"It's natural that everyone understands that research science is at the basis of new discoveries that allows us to have greater hope for solving life-ending diseases."

The survey shows that 87 percent of the Oklahomans surveyed support basic science research even if it brings no immediate benefits.

And 83 percent said they would support financial incentives offered by the state to attract new scientific research such as laboratories or companies.

In addition, 76 percent of those surveyed said the amount spent on public health research -- about 1 cent of every U.S. health care dollar -- should be doubled, or more.

However, the survey apparently didn't ask respondents how the state should fund research or in what form an additional tax might be collected to support it.

The EDGE committee created by Gov. Brad Henry last year suggested that Oklahoma build a $1 billion endowment to support research and create what it called the "Research Capital of the Plains."

Other states already have launched such initiatives, said Dr. J. Donald Capra, president of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, which helped underwrite the survey in Oklahoma.

"There are any numbers of examples of this," Capra said. "Michigan has had a huge effort in this regard. They basically put their whole tobacco settlement money toward biomedical research."

Support for medical research should be noted by state leaders at the capitol and beyond, Capra said.

"If the state fathers want biotech to be one of the businesses of the future, investments have to be made," he said.

Last year, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and nearby University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center won a combined $48 million in research grants from the National Institutes of Health for the 150 or so scientists they employ.

Medical research plays a major role in Oklahoma's economy, contributing approximately 15 percent to the gross state product, said Dr. Joseph Ferretti, provost at the OU Health Sciences Center.

"I'm really encouraged that people recognize that," Ferretti said.

"I think the people recognize that health care and research are very, very important, not only in today's economy but also their personal well being."

The issue will be one of the topics at a health care forum that Research!America is presenting in conjunction with Northeastern State University today at the university's Broken Arrow campus.

Anderson will moderate the conference, which is open to the public at no charge. It begins at 8:30 a.m. in Building C, Room 119.

[Nuclear_2525]

Think of the effects this would have on our economy and image to the rest of the nation!!! OKC has the best location in the nation to become a very important and leading medical research city.

[Patrick]

I think this was mentioned earlier in this thread, but we really need to encourage current individual research scientists to band together and start small bio-research corporations. This is how UroCor (no longer in operation, but still a good example) was started many years ago. OMRF started the same way, and look at how large they are today....they have a research park all to themselves.

[floater]

Absolutely, Patrick. We have the i2e, the "Innovation to Enterprise" center that helps scientists commercialize their discoveries. What's key is providing the type of business assistance and startup funding to provide functions like marketing, simple office management, accounting, and business plan formulation. A great public investment would be beefing up the staff of incubators like i2e to guide these small companies into growth.