RSS
|
Mobile
|
Daily Emails
|
We Twitter
| Make us your home page
The Science Park at Research Valley was scheduled to be open for business last month, but the 180,000-square-foot building will remain vacant through the end of the year.
Lynntech officials in March finalized the purchase for the Science Park facility, saying then that they expected to be in the new site by Sept. 1. Lynntech is a scientific research and development company that focuses on water, energy and health innovations.
John Clanton, Lynntech's chief executive based in College Station, said he expected his company to start using the building in early 2010. He said the move was delayed due to remodeling and design factors.
"The construction permit was issued the week before last. We have people starting on the construction activity right now," Clanton said. "We're looking at a January occupancy to have all of the lab spaces completed."
The building was formerly used by Westinghouse and has been vacant for about a decade. The facility was built in 1983 to meet the needs of Westinghouse, which manufactured electronic components in College Station to be used in radar and communications systems. About 125,000 square feet of the facility was used to manufacture products. The Westinghouse facility incorporated a cafeteria, a small gym and racquetball courts for use by employees.
About 70,000 square feet of space is being reconstructed for use by Lynntech employees, Clanton said. Of that, about 30,000 square feet will be used as laboratories, the rest for office space. The cafeteria will be renovated as well, he said.
When Lynntech bought Science Park for an undisclosed amount, it signed an agreement with Research Valley Partnership to help redevelop the facility, which has deteriorated over time.
As part of the agreement, for the next three years Lynntech is expected to make at least $3 million in capital improvements to the building, maintain 120 jobs and add another 30 positions with an average annual salary of $75,000. In exchange, it will receive a $500,000 loan from the partnership to be used on the overall reconstruction, and College Station will waive developmental fees while the building is being redeveloped.
David Gwin, College Station's economic development director, said that although Lynntech originally planned to be in the building by now, he was still pleased with the progress that had been made.
"We're elated that Lynntech is making this investment," he said. "We understand a move of this scale takes time, and we want to support Lynntech in that regard."
Gwin said that reconstruction of the building would come in phases and that once Lynntech has settled into the facility, officials will start planning to redevelop the entire site.
"Essentially what they're focused on right now is just getting inside the existing building," Gwin said.
Lynntech uses a building at Texas A&M Research Park for product development. The company's machining center is located on Texas 6, its corporate offices and technology center on Eastmark Drive.
Being able to consolidate the entire firm into one space will be beneficial, Clanton said.
"Right now Lynntech is occupying three different spaces that are several miles apart," he said. "Having all of the talent in one location is going to be a huge advantage, and it will be a huge cost savings."
The design process for Science Park took more time than anticipated, Clanton said. The company wanted to make sure the labs it designed were efficient and reflected current trends in laboratory space, he said.
In addition, Clanton said, the company faced challenges with the condition of the facility.
"The building had a number of issues just based on the age of the structure and being unoccupied," he said. "There was asbestos and mold."
About 140 Lynntech employees will work at Science Park when it is ready, he said, and other businesses are expected to rent out additional space shortly after Lynntech moves in.
"We're talking with a number of companies, but nothing is definitive yet," Clanton said. "We believe there will be a strong level of interest in spaces."
