Research Park Groundbreaking

[89rabbit]

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.../NEWS/60917009

SDSU research park groundbreaking tomorrow

By MELANIE BRANDERT
mbrander@argusleader.com
September 17, 2006

South Dakota State University will break ground on the state’s first university research park at 3:30 p.m. Monday.

The Innovation Campus at SDSU in Brookings will encompass 125 acres, located east of 22nd Avenue and south of the Highway 14 bypass. Plans call for the research area to have 19 buildings with more than 1 million feet of usable space. . . . (read more)


Go State!

[89rabbit]

Re: Research Park Groundbreaking

http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDet...cfm?Id=0,51102

09/18/2006

Ground Breaking For SDSU Research Park

South Dakota State University will break ground at Brookings today on a 125-acre site for the first university research park in the state. . . .

Its purpose is to create new jobs by nurturing research that'll lead to marketable products and services.

SDSU estimates that the research park will create 300 jobs and generate 70 million dollars in private investments. (read more)


Go State!

[NightHawk78]

Re: Research Park Groundbreaking

http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=0,51122
This must be the surprise announcement I heard about:

Governor Rounds will ask the 2007 legislature to ear mark nearly three million dollars for the new drought tolerance biotechnology research center.

[89rabbit]

Re: Research Park Groundbreaking

From the Argus:

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...609190329/1001

SDSU digs in to launch state's first research park
Dirt moved to start project with varied fields of study

Melanie Brandert
mbrander@argusleader.com
September 19, 2006

BROOKINGS - South Dakota State University kicked off construction of the state's first research park Monday.

The master plan for SDSU's 125-acre Innovation Campus entails 19 buildings erected during the next 20 years with more than 1 million square feet of space. In addition to an agricultural focus, the park will support research in engineering and pharmaceuticals.

Other features include support facilities such as a hotel and parking garage, grain mill and wind turbine research centers and greenhouse areas.

"We need a research park - the last piece in the puzzle where we can take real incubation, real ideas and grow a Daktronics every year," SDSU President Peggy Miller said. "We hope the robustness of the I-29 corridor will become a reality."

Shortly after Miller introduced Gov. Mike Rounds, he revealed an ace up his sleeve to keep the celebratory mood alive.

He announced a new university-based research center will be created to focus on biotechnology to generate drought-tolerant crops. Located in Brookings, it'll be the state's sixth university-based research center.

The biotechnology center is needed because there is no indication that the current six-year drought cycle will end anytime soon, Rounds said. As a result, the center will focus on developing new commercial varieties of corn, wheat, oilseeds and possibly short-season soybeans.

"We are planting seeds - seeds of hope," he said. "You don't plant a seed for today, but the corn and soybeans for tomorrow."

Rounds said the research park is an example of a project that took vision, planning and hard work, and will help keep young adults in the state.

The park's boundaries are I-29, Highway 14, 22nd Avenue and 11th Street. The city plans to install infrastructure this fall.

Innovation Campus received a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration with a match from the state, $1.5 million from Vision Brookings Coalition, $500,000 from the state, $496,000 from a federal Housing and Urban Development grant and $310,000 from the state Crop Improvement Association.

Rounds also pledged almost $3 million over the next three years for the biotechnology center. . . . (read more)


Go State!

[89rabbit]

Re: Research Park Groundbreaking

Another news story on the Research Park.  This one has an audio interview with Gov. Rounds.

http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/ges...8958F16D860609

SDSU sight of new Drought Tolerance Biotechnology Research Center

Tuesday, September 19, 2006, 9:21 AM

by Peter Shinn

AUDIO: Interview with South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds (6 1/2 min MP3)

http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/res...e%20Rounds.mp3


The University of Nebraska at Lincoln has the National Drought Mitigation Center, which focuses on drought prediction and studies climate. And now, South Dakota State University (SDSU) will be home to the Drought Tolerance Biotechnology Research Center. South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds made that announcement Monday during a ceremony at SDSU in Brookings, South Dakota.

Rounds says the Center will focus on creating new drought-tolerant commercial varieties in corn, wheat, oilseeds and maybe even short-season soybeans. "We know that in the upper Midwest, there appears to be no end in sight to the current drought," Rounds said. "And based upon that, our farmers and our ranchers really do need the technology and the research for different type of seeds and developing seedstocks that can be more drought resistant."

According to Rounds, the Center's primary objective is to speed drought-tolerant varieties to drought-stricken ag producers. "Our goal is to expedite the development of these seedstocks by one-to-three years," said Rounds. "That may very well mean the difference for some farmers and ranchers in their survival."  .  .  .  (read more)


Go State!  

[89rabbit]

Re: Research Park Groundbreaking

From the Register:

http://www.brookingsregister.com/mai...25&page=23

‘If we build it, they will come ...’

BY JILL FIER



Until now, the land has been covered in lush, green crops , just as it was in “Field of Dreams.”
But in 20 years, a patch of cropland in the northeast corner of the South Dakota State University campus could be home to a 19-building research park, the state’s first.
And on Monday afternoon, local, state, university and federal officials helped break ground for the new project.
It has been dubbed “The Innovation Campus.”
The park will provide more than 1 million square feet of building floor space – spread over 125 acres of land – at a land-grant university that has had agricultural research as one of its key missions for the past 100 years.
Now, say the guiding forces behind the project, this will be the place “Where Ideas Grow,” and they’ve adopted that as the motto and mission of the new research complex.

Bob Miller, interim director of the SDSU Growth Partnership, said research parks the size envisioned for Brookings usually employ about 3,000, with 60 to 70 companies housed within.
Further, he said, those companies will pump tens of millions of dollars into the community in salaries and facilities, to say nothing of the revenue the project will bring to Brookings as the various start-up enterprises achieve success.
Gov. Mike Rounds was on hand for the groundbreaking and praised everyone involved in the project.
"This is a great day for South Dakota State University and it’s a great day for Brookings, and for the State of South Dakota," he added.  .  .  .  (Read more)


Go State!  

[Charger13]

Re: Research Park Groundbreaking

From the Argus:

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...609190329/1001

SDSU digs in to launch state's first research park

Located in Brookings, it'll be the state's sixth university-based research center.

So this is the first research park in the state, but what are the other research centers.

[filbert]

Re: Research Park Groundbreaking

Argus editorial today:

"There's a type of research that can be done at SDSU (that) is very powerful," said Jay Bender, chairman of the Vision Brookings Coalition, which helped develop the campus. "This marks the beginning of an effort to have South Dakota State University be a major driver in economic development in this state."

Brookings Mayor Scott Munsterman said the campus could produce more than $200 million in private investment, complementing the research already under way at SDSU.

Let's not misunderstand. This isn't just about SDSU or Brookings, although it's certainly important to both.

They like it. Here's hoping it's the start of great things for Brookings, SDSU, and South Dakota.

[Rabbit74]

Re: Research Park Groundbreaking

The research centers are faculty led efforts that the state has invested in. For the main part, they are on the various campuses in already existing departments and facilities.  SDSU is involved in at least three maybe four of these, one as the lead, one as a primary partner and a third as a major player.  The one where SDSU is the lead is in the Vet Science area.  The one where we are a primary partner is in engineering and includes Mines and the third of which I am aware involves the SDSU Chemistry Department in a partnership with USD and Avera.  There is a fourth that is essentially all at USD.  A fifth was added last year but I am not sure what it is.  

[89rabbit]

Re: Research Park Groundbreaking

Argus editorial today:

"There's a type of research that can be done at SDSU (that) is very powerful," said Jay Bender, chairman of the Vision Brookings Coalition, which helped develop the campus. "This marks the beginning of an effort to have South Dakota State University be a major driver in economic development in this state."

Brookings Mayor Scott Munsterman said the campus could produce more than $200 million in private investment, complementing the research already under way at SDSU.

Let's not misunderstand. This isn't just about SDSU or Brookings, although it's certainly important to both.

They like it.  Here's hoping it's the start of great things for Brookings, SDSU, and South Dakota.

Here is a link to the Argus editorial:

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...609200318/1052

Go State!

[West_River_Jack]

Innovation Campus

I noticed this link while I was looking at the plans for the Wellness Center.  Forgive me if it has already been posted.

http://www.sdsufoundation.org/sdsu.aspx?pgID=933

If I understand correctly this is planned for the open fields area east of 22nd avenue and just south of the highway 14 bypass.  The area has been used for plant science research for decades.  Perhaps someone will correct or affirm this.

[89rabbit]

Re: Research Park Groundbreaking

Nice find WRJ! Love the artist rendering. 8-)


Go State!

[89rabbit]

Re: Research Park Groundbreaking

http://www3.sdstate.edu/SDSU/NewsDet...cfm?ID=46,5491

Utahan tabbed to oversee SDSU research park

An experienced university research park director from Utah will take the helm of the developing Innovation Campus at SDSU, and part of the reason for landing Teresa McKnight goes to South Dakota cornfields.

McKnight, of Smithfield, Utah, begins Dec. 11 as the first permanent director of the new research park at South Dakota State University.

She has worked in various capacities at the Utah State University for 14 years and has served as interim director of Utah State’s research park. On Sept. 21, she was promoted to director. That campus in northern Utah is in the Cache Valley, where the Wasatch Mountain Range frames the campus postcards. But those peaks were no match for the cornfields between Brookings and Sioux Falls.

McKnight flew into Sioux Falls on the night of Sept. 13 and got up early the next morning to drive to Brookings to interview for the job.

“I had an opportunity to see the green, open spaces at 7:30 in the morning. The drive was the most beautiful I had ever encountered. The sun was coming up over the land. It was mirroring off the beautiful cornfields. It was just a sight that took my breath away,” surpassing even the vistas of home, McKnight said. . . . (read more)

Go State!

[jackmd]

Re: Research Park Groundbreaking

“I had an opportunity to see the green, open spaces at 7:30 in the morning. The drive was the most beautiful I had ever encountered. The sun was coming up over the land. It was mirroring off the beautiful cornfields. It was just a sight that took my breath away,” surpassing even the vistas of home, McKnight said.  .  .  .  (read more)

Wait tell there is 3 feet of snow and its 20 below, talk about taking your breath away!! Granted, winter is temporary and it just makes you appreciate the other months that much more. Looking forward to watching this park develop and hope to help contribute to its growth is some way.