Officials look to Alabama for research park model

Though there has been no official word of where the Air Force will permanently place its Cyber Command, Bossier Parish officials continue to plan as though it will remain at Barksdale Air Force Base.

The committee tasked with setting up the Cyber Innovation Center that will house support for the command listened to a presentation Thursday and Friday by the director of one of the biggest research parks in the country.

"It's kind of like research park 101," said Bill Altimus, Bossier Parish administrator and police juror.

The committee, which includes Bossier City Mayor Lorenz Walker, Bossier Parish Attorney Patrick Jackson and Murray Visor with Barksdale Forward, is looking to model their innovation center after the campus setting of a research park, Altimus said.

Rick Davis believes that Shreveport and Bossier City are very similar to Huntsville, Ala., where Cummings Research Park is located.

Population size and potential for growth are mirrored in both areas, he said.

Presenting a glimpse of what the project could be, Davis explained the Huntsville, Ala., park in detail. The research park is home to 285 companies including AT&T, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics. More than 25,000 employees work at the park, which doesn't only include defense contractors and researchers but also a coming retail development.

Davis encouraged the committee to "think outside of the box." He also suggested that members continue to develop their relationships with the military.

"I think we're setting our sights too low," Altimus said of his thoughts after the presentation. "Thirty years ago (Huntsville was) a cotton growing society and that was basically it. Now, today ... you've got $2.5 billion a year in income and 14 percent of the population has master's degrees. That's pretty amazing."

Altimus hopes to bring Davis back to talk to others who will have their hand in the innovation center, including bankers, retail developers and educators.

Many area elected officials are jumping on the Cyber Command bandwagon and continue to take steps to be prepared in the event the announcement comes this fall that the command will stay at Barksdale.

Bossier City Council has included $34 million for the innovation center in the $100 million in bonds it has applied for. The council also just approved the use of $500,000 to hire a consultant who is helping build a business model for the innovation center and will help determine how the facility will be run.

The Caddo Parish Commission is considering providing financial assistance in creating computer-based degrees at LSUS and Southern University-Shreveport. And the Bossier Parish Police Jury has committed funds to build the innovation center.