North Carolina Biotech Research Campus

[dubone]

BTW, Murdock is qouted as saying there will be more scientists concentrated here than anywhere in the ENTIRE US"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

how is that possible? think about places like CalTech or Lawrence-Livermore National Labs, or you name it... there is no way that a nutrition research center will possibly come close to having that much more concentration of scientists.

[A2]

how is that possible?  think about places like CalTech or Lawrence-Livermore National Labs, or you name it... there is no way that a nutrition research center will possibly come close to having that much more concentration of scientists.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's not me saying that, it is on the front page of the paper. I have to wonder too, but this is a guy that is determined to make this a unique and major development. Granted he might be a bit over optomistic, but with the money, the planning, and the will, one could assume that we could have one hell of a set-up.

A2

[dubone]

he is also old, and perhaps a bit senile. that is just crazy-talk.

but you're right, he does have the money to make it so if he wants to...

[A2]

he is also old, and perhaps a bit senile.  that is just crazy-talk.

but you're right, he does have the money to make it so if he wants to...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He might also be thinking about leaving a legacy which might make Murdock a bit more adoment about making this happen.

A2

[monsoon]

Holy smokes. The artilce today predicts more than 5000 tech jobs and OVER 30K support jobs. Talk about a Criticle Mass !!!!

BTW, Murdock is qouted as saying there will be more scientists concentrated here than anywhere in the ENTIRE US"

YEAH BABY !!!!

A2

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes this is why I asked the above questions. It was after reading this article. With that kind of mass of jobs combined with an equivalent mass and investment from Lowes Home Improvement and NASCAR, I don't see where this would be that beneficial to downtown. A lot of growth that might have going there is instead going to chase after stuff going on in this new corridor between Cabarrus and Iredell county. (with a dose of Lake Norman thrown in).

[monsoon]

Because downtown already has the top lawyers, top accounting firms, and to be blunt about it culture.  Locating 45 minutes away from an investment around related services makes a lot more sense than locating at the investment and being 45 minutes away from the services.

I somehow don't see Alston & Bird, Kennedy Covington, Cadwalader, PriceWaterhouse, or Earnst & Young to open offices on Kannapolis.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can you explain this "culture" thing? Is it the NBA, the theatre, chain restaurants, places to get drunk, ta ta bars? What do these bring to a company wanting to exploit what is going on in Kannapolis? Didn't IBM buy PWC, if so, that decision won't be made in Charlotte. I could see them locating some employees at their Harris Blvd location to serve this new incubator.

[A2]

Yes this is why I asked the above questions.

[monsoon]

I hope we do not see another Atlanta MB 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Indeed. The city of Atlanta has lost 67,000 people between 2000 & 2004. There are less than 400K living there now.

Cabarrus, Iredell, and N. Mecklenburg do at least seem to be working together to manage growth and to beat up on the NCDOT for transit funding.

[A2]

Indeed.

[Miesian Corners]

Can you explain this "culture" thing?  Is it the NBA, the theatre,  chain restaurants, places to get drunk, ta ta bars?  What do these bring to a company wanting to exploit what is going on in Kannapolis?    Didn't IBM buy PWC,  if so, that decision won't be made in Charlotte.  I could see them locating some employees at their Harris Blvd location to serve this new incubator.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

First of all, I only know of one TaTa bar uptown. And there are many fine independant restaurants to be found there, too. Add in the mix some decent museums and several theatres, three libraries, a university and two satellite universities, and well, I think you've got some culture. And correct me if I'm wrong, but lots of those lawyers enjoy getting drunk and like having watering holes in walking distance to their offices. And if I have a client to take to dinner, I think a visit to Town or Sonoma will go over far better than an evening at Applebee's or Chilie's in Kannapolis.

But the most important question that no one has asked: Just how will the Dale Trail fit into the project?

[monsoon]

  And if I have a client to take to dinner, I think a visit to Town or Sonoma will go over far better than an evening at Applebee's or Chilie's in Kannapolis.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually Murdock has admitted that he often goes to Kannapolis to work as he prefers the atmosphere there. He could certainly afford an office anywhere in downtown Charlotte.

[Miesian Corners]

Actually Murdock has admitted that he often goes to Kannapolis to work as he prefers the atmosphere there.  He could certainly afford an office anywhere in downtown Charlotte.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Soundbites for the press. Besides, even if he really means that, he's one person out of several thousand who will actually work there on a day to day basis. He'll be confortably back home in either the Bel Air mansion or at the ranch in Thousand Oaks (California) with his 40-year old interior decorator wife. No doubt she'd not get much biz in Kannapolis.

[dubone]

i don't think these jobs going to downtown kannapolis will have any zero-sum effect on downtown charlotte. obviously this project will be bringing jobs to downtown kannapolis, period. are they jobs that would have gone to downtown charlotte, no, because there is no rich californian billionaire who feels guilty or partially responsible for the collapse of the main employer in downtown charlotte... so if this wasn't happening in kannapolis, it would either not be happening, or would be happening in cali or maui or some other locale that is dear to Mr. Murdock.

He obviously likes the atmosphere in Kannapolis, because it is a nice town/city. It isn't a "suburb" of charlotte, it is a town/city just like hickory or statesville or salisbury. If salisbury gets a new employer to its downtown, it might have some marginal chaos-theory-butterfly-in-china effect on downtown charlotte, but otherwise it is mostly irrelevant to the subject of growth in downtown charlotte. Same here with this project.

It will help kannapolis survive the transition from old economy to new economy, and charlotte has already gone through that.

if a company was going to locate in kannapolis, they would not likely be the kind of company that would locate in downtown charlotte anyway.

The multiplier effect of these jobs in kannapolis will have impacts all over, though. If this project is a success, it will have an impact directly on downtown kannapolis, and also on the suburbs of kannapolis as people move in. It will affect charlotte only to the extent that companies that do business in kannapolis but are hq'ed here (small, medium, and large businesses) will see some improved business. The same goes for Minneapolis if Target revenues improve in Kannapolis, and Bentonville if Walmart revenues improve there, etc. there will certainly be improved business conditions regionally with so many jobs going there.... but, again, all of this is just the gears of the economy. I don't believe there is any direct linkage or zero-sum situation, though, between these jobs in kannapolis vs downtown charlotte.

[atlrvr]

I couldn't disagree more.

If Grant Thorton is selected as the accountant for a BioTech start-up, it is very likely that they will be served out of the Charlotte office. If they selected a local firm to represent them with Patent issues, it won't be Don Anderson's Family Law, or Bill Jackson's Traffic Law in Kannapolis. The accountant won't be the sweet little lady who lives on Pine St., and helps everybody in March fill out there 1040.

If this project is successful as they are proclaiming, then these will be "real" companies needing real representation.....this isn't trickle down money that may or may not need to additional captital and labor expenidtures, but real demand for services.

For a good example, Harris Teeter which is based in Matthews (I know this isn't as far from downtown Charlotte as Kannapolis but the principal is the same) is served by downtown Charlotte firms. I personally know the lawyer who represents them in all lease negotiations. There is 1 person sitting in the BofA office tower whose sole job is to make sure that a company based in Matthews has correctly crossed the T's and dotted the I's. And that same firm has a lawyer dedicated in most of its departments that specifically are there to represent Harris Teeter in different legal matters.

[monsoon]

Harris Teeter is a long term Charlotte institution. You don't get one without the other. Charlotte without Harris Teeter (and vice versa) is like corn flakes without the milk. It doesn't compute. That is why they are married to downtown Charlotte. Old man Harris was doing business there before most of us were around.

On the other hand a biotech firm locating here from say California or even RTP isn't bothered by the pomp and circumstance and blue suiters that comes with firms located in downtown Charlotte. While they may not use Billy Bob's country accounting, I can amost guarantee that you will see nationally recognized firms opening offices in Kannapolis when there is that much money in discussion. Lawyers and accountants are like dogs chasing a garbage truck when it comes to money. If the Charlotte accoutants don't open offices in Kannapolis, then that just means they will lose out ot ones who will.

[atlrvr]

Not to keep spinning in circles, but I don't forsee a nationally recognized firm who is interested in entering the market to locate in Kannapolis....that kind of limits your exposure to other clients in the metro, and any respectable firm who blooms at this tech center would be wise not hire a big-money hopeful who hangs his shingle in Kannapolis, and instead look down to road to the proven representation......it's not like they need face to face contact everyday.

If this were to grow into something as large as RTP, then we may see some larger firms open satellite offices, but from the sound of things, the current proposal is 1/10th the size.

[DanRNC]

Not to keep spinning in circles, but I don't forsee a nationally recognized firm who is interested in entering the market to locate in Kannapolis....that kind of limits your exposure to other clients in the metro, and any respectable firm who blooms at this tech center would be wise not hire a big-money hopeful who hangs his shingle in Kannapolis, and instead look down to road to the proven representation......it's not like they need face to face contact everyday.

If this were to grow into something as large as RTP, then we may see some larger firms open satellite offices, but from the sound of things, the current proposal is 1/10th the size.

Excellent point. One point to also consider, contrary to media hype, is the biotech industry is curently not growing outside of big pharma. Name a couple of pure life science companies besides pharmaceutical companies (Biogen, Merck, Pfizer, GSK, Wyeth) and ancillary companies (BD, Invitrogen, etc.). They don't generally exist or don't exist for very long. Most biotech start-ups do not make it (will try to find a %). Large companies are not going to pick up and move an entire operation there with an untrained workforce and no close airport. This is risky business. I would say the shift is to nanotech, materials science, renewable resources (green chemistry). Agribusiness, which was growing, has slowed down as well.

For an annual budget of $25 mil. they could have lured a decent sized manufacuring company which would have employed a large amount of people right off the bat in this area. The Dell deal was a perfect example of this in W-S.

Heres a list of Boston's top life science companies (ie biotech):

Link

Most of these comapnies are pharma and many are companies that make equipment and products for pharma (Boston Scientifc, Waters, Thermo, PE).

Good article Link

[monsoon]

Maybe Murdock's plans will revive this industry.

[MZT]

I won't pull out the crystal ball and guess how all this will turn out.

But I'll side with the "progress follows money" view of things. Who would have thought Bentonville Arkansas would be a boomtown 30 years ago? How much "culture" is there today? But Wal-Mart is in the driver's seat and demands their vendors have a presence there.

If Murdoch wants this to be his legacy, and enough money is stubbornly poured into Kannapolis, it can happen.

[Skyybutter]

Whats good for Kannapolis is good for the whole region. K-town is only 30mins tops from uptown. What will be interesting to me is the housing situation. There is virtually no housing within the city limits that these employees with at least BAs would be interested in. I have a feeling the Northwest section of Cabarrus and the Southwest section of Rowan county are going to see significant growth. Unfortunately this will continue the urban sprawl situationo in the area.

We can hope that some of the housing Murdock is planning will be attractive to the employees. Im just having trouble thinking it will. Unless there are some parks included in the plan. These famalies will want room. They want a place for their kids to play soccer etc etc. I can only think Kannapolis and surrounding will be a new Cary about 5 years from now.

[MZT]

The houses in NoDa and much of Dilworth are tiny. Kannapolis does have a large stock of older homes that if restored, might appeal to people being priced out of these parts of Charlotte.

[ElricSeven]

Because downtown already has the top lawyers, top accounting firms, and to be blunt about it culture.  Locating 45 minutes away from an investment around related services makes a lot more sense than locating at the investment and being 45 minutes away from the services.

I somehow don't see Alston & Bird, Kennedy Covington, Cadwalader, PriceWaterhouse, or Earnst & Young to open offices on Kannapolis.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Correct, the big firms aren't going anywhere from the square. You might have a few very small or individual practitioners locate in Kannapolis, but even this big of a concentration of won't pull more than a few in that direction. It just isn't enough to support a firm of more than maybe a three or four attorneys. This is because conflicts of interest dictate that one won't be able to represent more than a few clients in the same industry.

Most of my practice is national and I never see the clients in person. Don't need to, it is mostly a social nicety that costs too much money. Further, Uptown is plenty close to Kannapolis. They would, quite literally, be closer of any of the 50 or so clients that I do work for.

An autoclaving operation or growth media supplier, on the other hand, would benefit greatly from close interaction and shorter delivery routes.

[dubone]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/12651799.htm

at first i thought they were referring to one of the big lakes around downtown kannapolis, but after looking at a map, it is just the little lake/pond off main street.

[dubone]

http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte.../19/story1.html

http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte...editorial1.html

the bizjournal has its own synopsis of the murdock plans and history, and how UNCC will use it to increase its research reputation and presence.

i think murdock's research campus will be play that role for the charlotte metro. i actually think they need to rename or get rid of the boundaries for University Research Park, which quickly became a misnomer. It is now simply a suburban office campus for technology and other operations. I don't believe there are many true research operations that go on there, and it just comes across as a cheap copy of rtp.

Murdock's center, however, has gravitas and resources.

[orulz]

There's a big article in the Raleigh News & Observer concentrating on the human aspect of this project, including David Murdock, local and state officials, and the townspeople who were out of a job when the mill shut down.