Lawrence leaders plan 'hub' for bioscience growth

BYLINE: Mark Fagan, Journal-World, Lawrence, Kan.

Apr. 21--Lawrence is looking to bolster its bioscience future by turning a temporary warehouse into a permanent hub for nurturing promising companies and their emerging products and technologies.

The building, at 3813 Greenway Drive in the East Hills Business Park, is being fitted for a high-tech, $7.5 million upgrade intended to turn the place into an incubator for startups and other promising bioscience companies.

The building will serve as a place for new companies to germinate, existing companies to grow or out-of-town outfits to relocate into.

Through it all, the center will be counted on to add jobs, promote development of marketable products and services, and show the community's solid commitment to bioscience initiatives.

"This is important to our bioscience future and to the bio message that we want to send to the state of Kansas and potential bioscience companies -- not only in the incubator and the state of Kansas -- that we in Lawrence have a plan, we have capabilities and we plan to exercise those," said Lavern Squier, president and chief executive officer of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, which has been active in the project's planning and evolution. "This is a big step."

The project is a partnership of the Kansas Bioscience Authority and Lawrence and Douglas County governments, whose leaders agreed earlier this year to develop the incubator in the business park.

Project financing is set to come from four partners:

--$3.475 million from the Kansas Bioscience Authority, which has agreed to buy the building for $2.475 million and then match supplemental local contributions, dollar for dollar, up to $1 million. The authority, created by the state to cultivate and support bioscience projects, has an option to buy the property, but has not yet closed as planning continues regarding potential tenants and their needs.

--$1.25 million each from the city of Lawrence and Douglas County, to cover "tenant finishes" and otherwise prepare the building for use by bioscience companies. The money actually is set to be fronted by the bioscience authority, then paid off by the city and county, with each government planning to spend $125,000 a year for 10 years.

--$1 million from the Lawrence-Douglas County Biosciences Authority, an organization formed by and financed jointly by the city and county to support development of high-tech labs and otherwise promote bioscience efforts in the area. Again, the contribution is to be fronted by the Kansas Bioscience Authority, then paid off by the local authority with $100,000 a year for 10 years.

--$500,000 from Douglas County Development Inc., a partnership of the city, county and chamber that runs the East Hills Business Park. DCDI agreed to sell the 4-year-old building for $2.475 million -- about $1 million below cost -- and then contribute $500,000 toward improvements.

The 67,376-square-foot building, which opened in 2002, had been built to accommodate warehousing or light-manufacturing operators that might be looking for space but unwilling to wait months for plans to be drawn, permits to be secured and construction to be completed.

But such a buyer never materialized, and manufacturers in the business park -- Amarr Garage Doors currently leases the space -- have been using the building for storage. The building also has been used for at least one charity event.

As part of the remodeling envisioned by the incubator project's partners, the building will be overhauled to include specialized plumbing, electrical and ventilation systems to serve the needs of bioscience companies. The building also will get state-of-the-art scientific equipment, new office space and shared conference rooms designed to attract promising companies.

Details are still being worked out regarding specific layouts and personnel issues, Squier said. But the planning is moving forward, and the center could be substantially complete by the end of the year.

Copyright (c) 2007, Journal-World, Lawrence, Kan. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.