School: Florida State University

[Florida]

I think FSU should give the research park idea another shot. I really think the area is ready for it.

[stjoe]

I think FSU should give the research park idea another shot. I really think the area is ready for it.

TK doesn't have the vision to push this. Sandy did but the COT, County, etc wouldn't give FSU the land for it (the area near Innovation Park has land owned by the COT, the County, and the state). So that ship has sailed.

[poonther]

Sad but I think you are right stjoe . Wasn't some of the land to be used for this research park now been allocated for the new proposed intramural fields for FSU?

[Florida]

I'm just curious... I can't possibly see any better use for the land surrounding Innovation Park, than to move forward with the plans for this research park. Heck... why not beef up ol' Innovation park a little more and make it into more of a research park.

How much land do we need for this?

[stjoe]

poonther,

FSU spent about $150K for a study on "University Park". The study stated FSU should be the Chief (so to speak) and the rest should be partners. FSU needed the land of the COT and County, but they wouldn't do it if FSU was in majority control. FSU walked away.

FSU doesn't have much land so it is now using what land it has over there for IM fields and a swimming facility.

Lost opportunity.

Taurean,

Innovation Park is considered a failure in higher ed research circles. That is why FSU won't just 'beef it up'. Basically throwing good money after bad.

[Florida]

poonther,

FSU spent about $150K for a study on "University Park". The study stated FSU should be the Chief (so to speak) and the rest should be partners. FSU needed the land of the COT and County, but they wouldn't do it if FSU was in majority control. FSU walked away.

FSU doesn't have much land so it is now using what land it has over there for IM fields and a swimming facility.

Lost opportunity.

Taurean,

Innovation Park is considered a failure in higher ed research circles. That is why FSU won't just 'beef it up'. Basically throwing good money after bad.

What about it makes it a failure? I mean, to some great degree I agree with you in that its not living up to its potential. BUT this kinda reminds me of the voucher thing... "why take money from a failing school and allow its kids to go somewhere else?" Let me know if that's a bad analogy, but I've driven thru Innovation park and I see tremendous potential there. Why not dress it up?

[DaiDreamer5]

Suxxor, thats a new one!! I never understand those students who do that. Don't they do their homework before they choose their college?!

Sandy was the one who had the idea of FSU building its own research park right? Do you think things would have turned out differently if he could have stuck around to see his vision thru?

Blah, I didn't think that Tallahassee would be all drinking and football when I applied to FSU. That's how I thought of it as a freshman. I know better now.

[Florida]

Blah, I didn't think that Tallahassee would be all drinking and football when I applied to FSU. That's how I thought of it as a freshman. I know better now.

I know many who would agree with you... I blame that darn Tennessee Street and Potbelly's!

[stjoe]

What about it makes it a failure? I mean, to some great degree I agree with you in that its not living up to its potential. BUT this kinda reminds me of the voucher thing... "why take money from a failing school and allow its kids to go somewhere else?" Let me know if that's a bad analogy, but I've driven thru Innovation park and I see tremendous potential there. Why not dress it up?

school vouchers and research parks are apples and oranges.

Yes, Innovation Park is the best research park in Leon County. But when it comes to battling the big boys...it is little league. Is is a failure in regards to what FSU wants (or at least did under Sandy). FSU waste any more money on Innovation Park when it doesn't CONTROL Innovation Park.

Doesn't matter anyway...there will be no major research park in Tally. It is a shame, we need one.

[Florida]

You're right... we do need one. I don't understand why FSU can't lead the park in partnership with the other intities. It really doesn't make the University look much like a team player, when you consider they would be using the resources of others to build this thing.

BTW... the vouchers thing was an analogy.

[stjoe]

"I don't understand why FSU can't lead the park in partnership with the other intities. It really doesn't make the University look much like a team player, when you consider they would be using the resources of others to build this thing. "

If you have 3-4 leaders....you really have NO leaders. That is why Innovation Park has failed. You put the person or institution that has an expertise in an area (or at least the best expertise) and let them run the show. It is why you have 1 head coach...he works with a group...but he or she makes the ultimate decision.

This everybody is in charge mentatlity has hurt Tally for years.

That is why it will never happen in Tally....everybody wants to be a chief nobody wants to be an indian.

[jpl02]

If you have 3-4 leaders....you really have NO leaders. That is why Innovation Park has failed. You put the person or institution that has an expertise in an area (or at least the best expertise) and let them run the show. It is why you have 1 head coach...he works with a group...but he or she makes the ultimate decision.

This everybody is in charge mentatlity has hurt Tally for years.

That is why it will never happen in Tally....everybody wants to be a chief nobody wants to be an indian.

So VERY true, not just for FSU and Innovation Park, but many other things as well. In this day and age, it seems to get one frickin decision made, we must consult with EVERYBODY but folks, it does not work. It impedes progress to have to spend a lot of time just trying to come to a consensus that makes other people happy. It's the reason why IP failed, and it's the reason why Tallahassee roads are over-taxed.

We need officials to make decisions, and we need to live with their decisions. That's what they're paid for, aren't they? I don't think we pay them to sit in conference rooms all day for a year meeting with people.

[Florida]

"I don't understand why FSU can't lead the park in partnership with the other intities. It really doesn't make the University look much like a team player, when you consider they would be using the resources of others to build this thing. "

If you have 3-4 leaders....you really have NO leaders. That is why Innovation Park has failed. You put the person or institution that has an expertise in an area (or at least the best expertise) and let them run the show. It is why you have 1 head coach...he works with a group...but he or she makes the ultimate decision.

This everybody is in charge mentatlity has hurt Tally for years.

That is why it will never happen in Tally....everybody wants to be a chief nobody wants to be an indian.

I'm not sure this is true with all things. Look at the work of the City Commission. There are 5 members, the mayor leads them, but all have an equal say and it works quite well. Why couldn't this model work with a research park, FSU playing the role of "mayor".

[stjoe]

Taurean,

That has not worked at Innovation Park.

Simply put, in a worse case scenerio, FSU has a legit concern. That is why Sandy said no thanks. FSU wasn't going to put $300-$400 Million into a park (and maybe $100 million from all other partners) and have only equal say. I can't blame FSU...they have a legit concern. And that doesn't even touch on the fact that TCC doesn't have research in it's mission statement....neither does the COT.

You can't get around these issues. And again, doesn't matter, the COT won't bend and TK isn't interested in putting FSU resources in a research park now. The opportunity passed.

[stjoe]

some info on "University Park"

http://www.research.fsu.edu/activity/2002/vprpt.html

"And finally, FSU has begun planning for University Park, an R&D campus that will house FSU's expanded research activities and allow for campus expansion. This proposed 1,500-acre site is located near the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and about a mile from our 463-acre main campus. University Park would allow for FSU's future growth and development. Only with collaborations that include the City of Tallahassee, Leon County and the State of Florida can we successfully move forward with the development of the University Park concept. "

http://www.foundation.fsu.edu/Files/200418...onnectThree.pdf

see page 5

"University Park could be three

times the size of FSU

[csmurphy8885]

I think the best methode is a central leader who is in the spotlight and responsible for thier decisions... surround that person with a "board" of an odd nummber of members who can intelligently vote on issues or decesions knowling that hte public will be aware and hold them responsible if acts are made on the contrasry of the experts opinions. Responsibility makes people make educated decesions. I would need to see someone really into making the right decision before i would give them the power to make the decision!

[Florida]

I would need to see someone really into making the right decision before i would give them the power to make the decision!

Good point.

[csmurphy8885]

P.S. and extention of the capus in this maner would be much more beneficial than arguing with DT developers over space issues... spread the students, spread the traffic, spread the strain!

[stjoe]

P.S. and extention of the capus in this maner would be much more beneficial than arguing with DT developers over space issues... spread the students, spread the traffic, spread the strain!

and FSU has....they are moving their IM fields there as well as the new swimming facility. They might move the track there someday also. So FSU is doing what you proposed.

" I would need to see someone really into making the right decision before i would give them the power to make the decision!"

I don't think you give anyone anything. I think the institution willing to spend the $$$$ gets to make the decisions.

[csmurphy8885]

hummmm

[Florida]

Like StJoe said I've heard FSU will be extending the campus out toward IP. TK said the other day in his little speech to my class that they expect the university's population to reach 60,000 and they're going to need somewhere to send all of the new students, so IP to him is the only logical location. Like StJoe I hear many of the athletic facilities will be moving out there, with Swimming going out soon, and the tennis courts to soon follow.

[stjoe]

"and the tennis courts to soon follow."

Didn't know that...but it makes sense with the new Chem building going right there.

FYI, what I think FSU should do is get St Joe (which owns about 40-50 THOUSAND acres in Leon County) to donate FSU about 1-2 thousand acres to FSU (raw continous land) for a research park. This would be a win win for everyone and not step on Innovation Park's toes.

I doubt TK has this kind of vision, he truly doesn't understand the difference between a research university and a community college. Both critical institutions, but VERY different missions. TK doesn't know what a research university is, so he wouldn't push this. Hopefully FSU gets a new president with vision and guts to jump on something like this before all the land is developed and FSU stuck without hopes of a research park.

[Glenn]

FYI, what I think FSU should do is get St Joe (which owns about 40-50 THOUSAND acres in Leon County) to donate FSU about 1-2 thousand acres to FSU (raw continous land) for a research park. This would be a win win for everyone and not step on Innovation Park's toes.

I doubt TK has this kind of vision, he truly doesn't understand the difference between a research university and a community college. Both critical institutions, but VERY different missions. TK doesn't know what a research university is, so he wouldn't push this. Hopefully FSU gets a new president with vision and guts to jump on something like this before all the land is developed and FSU stuck without hopes of a research park.

stjoe...that's a great idea! Maybe they'll need a write-off & feel charitable enough to do something like this one day. After all, they already donated the land to FSU a few years ago to relocate Florida High to SouthWood. With all the land development they've got going on in North Florida they would certainly benefit from the increased population a project like this would bring to our area. Like you stated, it will most likely take something like this, with the right players involved, to make a research park happen for us.

[DaiDreamer5]

Not sure if this is true or not, but I found this on the FSU_Noles LJ Community:

Dear Mr. TK Wetherell:

It has recently come to my attention that the FSU Middle East Center was offered a large sum donation of $20 million from a Saudi Prince who once attended the university as a student. Seeing as the Middle East Center has an annual operating budget of ~$8000, a large influx of funds would have allowed us to build a real, functional facility (as opposed to the refurbished WW2 barracks behind Rogers Hall that we use now, which is roughly the size of a trailer), offer assistantships, publish monographs, hold seminars, hire dedicated faculty, and even have an endowed chair. It would have created a real center of learning concerning one of the most rapidly growing fields in academia today, and would have allowed us to begin growing the center to compete academically with the likes of the many other large and well-established centers across the country.

Unfortunately, after getting in touch with exactly one person - that person being Jeb Bush - you and he decided it would be best for the university to NOT accept the donation, as you wanted to "avoid the politics that came with it." Interestingly, the only stipulations attached to the money were consistent with the mission of the center to begin with, and would not have changed the operation of the center except in a grand and exciting positive manner.

I am sure, however, that George Washington University and Harvard are more than happy with your decision - they accepted the money, half to each, earnestly and with large smiles on their faces.

fudge you, asshole.

Sincerely,

Ryan McHargue

[Florida]

Not sure if this is true or not, but I found this on the FSU_Noles LJ Community:

Dear Mr. TK Wetherell:

It has recently come to my attention that the FSU Middle East Center was offered a large sum donation of $20 million from a Saudi Prince who once attended the university as a student. Seeing as the Middle East Center has an annual operating budget of ~$8000, a large influx of funds would have allowed us to build a real, functional facility (as opposed to the refurbished WW2 barracks behind Rogers Hall that we use now, which is roughly the size of a trailer), offer assistantships, publish monographs, hold seminars, hire dedicated faculty, and even have an endowed chair. It would have created a real center of learning concerning one of the most rapidly growing fields in academia today, and would have allowed us to begin growing the center to compete academically with the likes of the many other large and well-established centers across the country.

Unfortunately, after getting in touch with exactly one person - that person being Jeb Bush - you and he decided it would be best for the university to NOT accept the donation, as you wanted to "avoid the politics that came with it." Interestingly, the only stipulations attached to the money were consistent with the mission of the center to begin with, and would not have changed the operation of the center except in a grand and exciting positive manner.

I am sure, however, that George Washington University and Harvard are more than happy with your decision - they accepted the money, half to each, earnestly and with large smiles on their faces.

fudge you, asshole.

Sincerely,

Ryan McHargue

WOW!!

Get'm Ryan!!!

Thanks for sharing that DaiDreamer!