Stowers to Double Life Science Center in Kansas City

Arizona taxpayers paid at least $100 million for the TGen Institute. The east coast version of Scripps cost Florida a cool $500-plus million. How much should Kansas City expect to pay the Stowers Institute for Medical Research to double the size of its 600,000 sq. ft. research facility instead of locating a second campus elsewhere?

Not a dime.

At least not directly. In making the announcement, founders Jim and Virginia Stowers acknowledged the efforts of city, state and academic leaders to strengthen life sciences research at the University of Missouri at Kansas City and the University of Kansas.

“Virginia and I have been gratified to witness the efforts of our government leaders in Kansas and Missouri to support growth of excellent life science at both state universities," Jim Stowers said. "Their actions have reinforced to us that they are as committed as we are to making Kansas City the best place for life science research and discovery development. Our confidence in their efforts to help the two universities has led us to conclude that the next phase of growth in the research programs of the Stowers Institute should occur in Kansas City.”

The planned expansion will double the size of the Stowers Institute’s world-class scientific research facility in Kansas City. The location of the second phase of campus development has not been determined, but is expected to be constructed close to the existing site.

The timing of the expansion also has not been set, but the Stowers Institute’s board intends for construction to begin before the current facilities are filled — expected to happen within the four or five years. The institute, which opened in November 2000, already employs more than 250 people.

During the announcement, Jim Stowers noted the importance of collaborative partnership among the universities and research organizations in the Kansas City area. This concept is embodied in the creation of BioMed Valley Corporation, a new organization headed by the Stowers Institute's Co-Chair Richard Brown. The new nonprofit holding company is dedicated to discovery development, technology commercialization, and fundraising for the research partners of the Kansas City metro area.

More information on Stowers is available at: http://www.stowers-institute.org