Site to become more than reasearch park

By: William White | Opelika Auburn News
Published: February 13, 2008

America’s research parks began a transition in about 2000 says the Auburn Research Park’s executive director.

“Parks began to transition from being just locations for companies to build buildings and to locate near university campuses,” said Dr. John D. Weete, Auburn Research Park executive director.

“Parks are becoming more university-affiliated, in what is referred to as a “mixed-use” campus,” he said. “That means not just having companies locate on campuses, but to offer services to these companies shifting more toward small high-technology companies, start-up companies giving incubator support to these companies to help them become successful.

“Mixed-use really refers to not just having those companies, but developing an entrepreneurial campus and community. This means not only having these companies come in that are creating jobs, services and products, but also the support-type companies as well.” Wette said there may be a hotel there, a restaurant, a coffee house, patent attorney firms or accounting firms.

“This is more a business community than simply a high-tech research park,” he said. “That is what we are trying to accomplish. Those are our goals as far as Auburn Research Park.
“We really are right on the wave of where research parks are going nationally.”

Weete spoke to members of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce’s early morning “Tuesday Talk” about the research park’s 156 acre-site containing three lakes, meadows, forested areas and a wetland preserve at the intersection of South College Street and Shug Jordan Parkway in Auburn. The Auburn Research and Technology Foundation, a 501(c)3 corporation, was formed to develop and operate the park. “As it begins to develop we will really see a lot of landscaping. It will really be quite a beautiful site when we are finished,” the executive director said.

He said the park is a partnership with the university donating the site, the city contributing $5 million to the joint venture, which was used to create its infrastructure, and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley helping secure $10 million from the state to construct the first building.

The first building under construction is 43,793 square feet and is expected to be completed by September 2008. The building is intended to be a multi-tenant facility that will house the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation, the AU Office of Technology Transfer, and business tenants. The aerospace engineering research company, Northrop Grumman Corp., will take up about a third of the first building.

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