New Technology Park

[OmahaDawg]

http://www.rustonleader.com/news.php?id=4186

For now, however, the university is focused on the process of upcoming land purchases.

Joe Thomas, Tech vice president of finance, said the university has been coordinating with Facilities Planning locally and a certified appraiser has reached out to landowners in the specified corridor. Thomas said offers have, in some cases, already been sent out, and others are coming based on the fair market values for the individual properties.

“It’s my understanding that the first wave of letters have gone out,” Thomas said. “I’m not sure about any responses yet.”

The $25 million Tech has in-hand will go about half-and-half toward buying up land in the proposed area and building the first tenant building in Research Campus.
The process of buying out the proposed land is far from quick, Reneau said, and he anticipates possible roadblocks.

All I will say at this time is that this is going to take some time and maybe a long time. I got my letter (along with other members of my family) on a piece of property that sits on Arizona Street that is in this area. We are not jumping for joy.

[DawgFaninHous]

Tech should go into business with someone with hotel management experience (maxwell?) in building a full service hotel on campus (across the street from the Lambright Center comes to mind) for the use of these new business personnel, along with the visiting schools for athletics. The Hilton Garden Inn on the parking lot of the Cajun Dome comes to mind and would provide a great spot for visiting teams to stay. The university could guarantee room nights. The new companies coming will demand a nice facility for their people so Tech should be proactive and have it ready before they start asking for it.
This would be a win/win for both the new research park and Tech athletics.
DFiH

[faninmonroe]

All I will say at this time is that this is going to take some time and maybe a long time. I got my letter (along with other members of my family) on a piece of property that sits on Arizona Street that is in this area. We are not jumping for joy.

It is going to happen and happen rather quickly regardless if the property owners like it or not. If you and yours do not like the offer you better seek seasoned real estate counsel before making any other move.

This has happened recently in Delhi, Lilly, Choudrant and Monroe and in the end the governing body always won - and won quickly.

[okiealdawg]

Most of that area is a dump and I hope Tech gets control of it and cleans it up!

[faninmonroe]

Most of that area is a dump and I hope Tech gets control of it and cleans it up!

Second that.

Investors in Ruston have already started purchasing land that will be just east of the proposed development.

[CChandler]

Well, with the good news Uncle Sam just gave me, *I*, personally, will be a part of this!

P.S. where is the proposed area, exactly? Name me some buildings.

[OmahaDawg]

It is going to happen and happen rather quickly regardless if the property owners like it or not. If you and yours do not like the offer you better seek seasoned real estate counsel before making any other move.

This has happened recently in Delhi, Lilly, Choudrant and Monroe and in the end the governing body always won - and won quickly.

Trust, me I know. Will be interesting and we have planned other uses for this property for years so not sure how I feel personally, but I am all for the tech-park. Will be great for Ruston and our University.

[CChandler]

Trust, me I know. Will be interesting and we have planned other uses for this property for years so not sure how I feel personally, but I am all for the tech-park. Will be great for Ruston and our University.

+10000000

We are well on our way.

Believe that.

[OmahaDawg]

+10000000

We are well on our way.

Believe that.

what?

[parisdog]

I agree, that area is a dump. Just cleaning that area up will make the side of the campus look much better.

[CChandler]

what?

Well on our way...to being a nationally recognized institution of research.

(I'm doing the old 'I know stuff but can't talk about it' bit)

[Brian96]

Well on our way...to being a nationally recognized institution of research.

(I'm doing the old 'I know stuff but can't talk about it' bit)

Are they finally going to waive tuition for graduate assistants that "real" research schools (and even ULM) do? :icon_wink:

[Brian96]

Seriously, though. This would be an EXCELLENT time to kick off an honest-to-goodness capital campaign to get some serious endowments started up. Other schools that have embarked on this kind of adventure (e.g., Ga Tech, Auburn, etc.) already had some serious money in their endowments before they started. (Not that that is a pre-requisite, I am just wondering whether we have all our ducks in a row as we advance toward enhanced legitimacy.)

[CChandler]

Are they finally going to waive tuition for graduate assistants that "real" research schools (and even ULM) do? :icon_wink:

I dunno about any of that!

I took the ol' bull by the horns and wrote my own proposal for funding.

[Brian96]

I dunno about any of that!

I took the ol' bull by the horns and wrote my own proposal for funding.

I helped apply for a few fellowships for our program (of course, they wouldn't have gone into effect until after I leave), but they got rejected so Tulane can get more state money.

I figure the tuition I've paid over the past few years works out to about what I would have hoped to be donating to Tech over about a 10 year period, so I'm just thinking of it as a "donation" and I'll start giving again after my student loans get paid off.