No one expected it to be easy – least of all Brien Starner.
The president of the Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation admits that much when talking about the Missouri Innovation Park, an ambitious project first unveiled to the public in early December 2008.
A little over a year later, the project remains one of – if not the – most important priorities for city staff and officials. They see the project as good for the city and good for the state, the means to build on the region’s animal health corridor designation.
The means to bring high-paying jobs to the area.
The means to building a larger tax base
A reason to build more housing, more retail, more amenities.
Yet for all its benefits, the project has struck some obstacles during its first year, beginning with a state provision that would have diverted some state taxes to benefit the funding (mostly for land acquisition) for the park.
Seven Missouri state senators, including Matt Bartle of the 8th District, disagreed throughout the summer with language in the proposed jobs bill, which, among several features, increased the annual cap on the state’s Quality Jobs Program from $60 million to $80 million and removes the annual per-company cap for jobs in the high-impact and technology categories
Looking back, Starner said the provision was too “Blue Springs focused” and not broad enough.
“That was unfortunate,” Starner said Monday. “It was unfortunate that it was labeled as a Blue Springs bill. It wasn’t, but we learned from it. Now we’re coming back fully locked and loaded.”
Rep. Tim Flook, R-Liberty, plans to sponsor a Jobs for the Future bill, according to Starner and Brad Scott, spokesperson for the Blue Springs Growth Initiative, the main organizer of the park.
As chairman of the state’s Job Creation and Economic Development Committee, Flook brings the representation that Starner and Scott say the project has needed from the beginning.
“We’re trying to get away with the whole idea of this being Blue Springs legislation,” Scott said. “We’ve broadened the message for our stake-holders and those who will benefit.”
Starner agreed.
“And right now there is coalition in the formative stage, which is made up of organizations that want to further this concept, this message,” Starner said.
Recently, the EDC and BSGI, submitted what they call a “deal package” to the University of Missouri regarding the proposed 180,000 square feet of development on 20 acres within the park, named The Mizzou Center, which is scheduled to be the first building to open, possibly next year.
The package contained site specifications, lay out proposals, and architectural renderings.
“It’s in their hands now,” Scott said, “and we hope to have some reaction at the beginning of the year.”
Within those 20 acres, university officials said there will be basic animal and human research, similar to what the university engages in currently. There is also a planned technology transfer component, or a licensing associate that will license inventions created by companies within the park, who will then market the product.
MC Realty Group, located in Kansas City, joined BSGI in October after master developer Trammell Crow left the project in early autumn. The Texas-based company cited a difficult real estate and investment markets as its reason.
Designers in MC Realty Group have been credited for much of the redevelopment and adaptive reuse of historic structures on the west side of Downtown Kansas City, the IRS Service Center, the National Archives near Union Station, and the Sprint Campus.
As for the size of the park, Starner said it has been reduced from the original size of 250 acres to about 150 acres. In October, a property owner asked that 20 acres of property be removed from the project boundaries. Following that, Starner said about 80 acres under land contract, located in what he said would be the last area in the park to be developed, was let go.
“We looked at the 80 acres and understood that that portion of the property would be the last to be developed,” Starner said, adding that stimulus funding for infrastructure improvements would, if acquired, directly affect the remaining 150 acres much sooner.
“It just made more sense from a developing point of view,” he said.
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No one expected it to be easy – least of all Brien Starner.
The president of the Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation admits that much when talking about the Missouri Innovation Park, an ambitious project first unveiled to the public in early December 2008.
A little over a year later, the project remains one of – if not the – most important priorities for city staff and officials. They see the project as good for the city and good for the state, the means to build on the region’s animal health corridor designation.
The means to bring high-paying jobs to the area.
The means to building a larger tax base
A reason to build more housing, more retail, more amenities.
Yet for all its benefits, the project has struck some obstacles during its first year, beginning with a state provision that would have diverted some state taxes to benefit the funding (mostly for land acquisition) for the park.
Seven Missouri state senators, including Matt Bartle of the 8th District, disagreed throughout the summer with language in the proposed jobs bill, which, among several features, increased the annual cap on the state’s Quality Jobs Program from $60 million to $80 million and removes the annual per-company cap for jobs in the high-impact and technology categories
Looking back, Starner said the provision was too “Blue Springs focused” and not broad enough.
“That was unfortunate,” Starner said Monday. “It was unfortunate that it was labeled as a Blue Springs bill. It wasn’t, but we learned from it. Now we’re coming back fully locked and loaded.”
Rep. Tim Flook, R-Liberty, plans to sponsor a Jobs for the Future bill, according to Starner and Brad Scott, spokesperson for the Blue Springs Growth Initiative, the main organizer of the park.
As chairman of the state’s Job Creation and Economic Development Committee, Flook brings the representation that Starner and Scott say the project has needed from the beginning.
“We’re trying to get away with the whole idea of this being Blue Springs legislation,” Scott said. “We’ve broadened the message for our stake-holders and those who will benefit.”
Starner agreed.
“And right now there is coalition in the formative stage, which is made up of organizations that want to further this concept, this message,” Starner said.
Recently, the EDC and BSGI, submitted what they call a “deal package” to the University of Missouri regarding the proposed 180,000 square feet of development on 20 acres within the park, named The Mizzou Center, which is scheduled to be the first building to open, possibly next year.
The package contained site specifications, lay out proposals, and architectural renderings.
“It’s in their hands now,” Scott said, “and we hope to have some reaction at the beginning of the year.”
Within those 20 acres, university officials said there will be basic animal and human research, similar to what the university engages in currently. There is also a planned technology transfer component, or a licensing associate that will license inventions created by companies within the park, who will then market the product.
MC Realty Group, located in Kansas City, joined BSGI in October after master developer Trammell Crow left the project in early autumn. The Texas-based company cited a difficult real estate and investment markets as its reason.
Designers in MC Realty Group have been credited for much of the redevelopment and adaptive reuse of historic structures on the west side of Downtown Kansas City, the IRS Service Center, the National Archives near Union Station, and the Sprint Campus.
As for the size of the park, Starner said it has been reduced from the original size of 250 acres to about 150 acres. In October, a property owner asked that 20 acres of property be removed from the project boundaries. Following that, Starner said about 80 acres under land contract, located in what he said would be the last area in the park to be developed, was let go.
“We looked at the 80 acres and understood that that portion of the property would be the last to be developed,” Starner said, adding that stimulus funding for infrastructure improvements would, if acquired, directly affect the remaining 150 acres much sooner.
“It just made more sense from a developing point of view,” he said.
TIMELINE
Dec. 15, 2008 – Members of the Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation announce the Missouri Innovation Park in Kansas City during a special press conference.
January 2009 – The EDC receives five inquiries from developers about designing and developing the park; at the same time, preliminary legislation is formed that would allow redirection of a portion of the state income tax on employees in the park and/or redirecting a portion of the state sales tax collected on retail centers near the park.
Feb. 6, 2009 – The Missouri House of Representatives pass legislation amending the Quality Jobs Program of 2005, which would help funding for the innovation park. State Sen. Matt Bartle, a Lee’s Summit Republican, would later become one of the senators critical of the amendment.
May 15, 2009 – The amendment is left out of the bill during the final day of the 2009 Missouri General Assembly session. A few weeks later, EDC members, city staff and officials pledge to try again in 2010.
June 2009 – EDC members and city staff tour the University of Missouri to get an idea of how the university plans to operate in Blue Springs.
Sept. 1, 2009 – Trammell Crow, a Texas-based developer, backs out of the project as master developer, citing real estate and investment issues throughout the country. The company did some basic site work and examinations, leaving that completed work with the EDC.
Oct. 19, 2009 – Former Missouri governer and current Senator Kit Bond visited with EDC officials, showing his interest in project and pledging to do all he could to assist.
Oct. 19, 2009 – During the same meeting, it was announced that MC Realty Group of Kansas had joined the project. The company would complete a land use master plan for the park.
