Private Science and Tech Research Center Planned for Flagstaff
BYLINE: Staff
The Plaza Companies and Higgins Development Partners announced they will develop a Science & Technology Park in Flagstaff as a private sector research center that could include up to 200,000 sq ft of office, biotechnology and research space at final build-out. The City of Flagstaff has entered into an agreement with Plaza/Higgins to formally negotiate a ground lease to develop the project on a nine-acre site at the McMillan Mesa, immediately adjacent to the United States Geological Survey Campus and the Northern Arizona Technology and Business Incubator. "We are working closely with the City of Flagstaff and our designers to develop a LEED-certifiable project that will complement the natural environment and the community resources of Northern Arizona," says Sharon Harper, president and CEO of The Plaza Companies.
In 2002, Arizona's Bioscience Roadmap was commissioned by The Flinn Foundation to assess and enhance Arizona's life science competitiveness. The plan develops Arizona's competitive position in the biosciences and develops a biosciences economic roadmap for the next decade. Northern Arizona leaders recently gathered in Flagstaff to kick off the Northern Arizona Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee, which will drive a region-focused process to identify existing bioscience-related activity, opportunities, and challenges unique to northern Arizona.
DMJM is the project architect and Sundt Construction is the general contractor. Souris Harris and CBRE have been selected to market and lease the project. The first phase of the project is scheduled to break ground in spring 2008.