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The Scripps Florida project


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Thanks for the insight!

My personal reservations on the site was its distance from transportation facilities -- having driven out there I can say that it is very far west of the Turnpike (about 8 miles) and very much removed from the urbanized area. I would have much preferred a site closer to the urbanized area, along the Turnpike or perhaps along 441/SR7.

With that said, what an amazing opportunity we have been afforded to diversify the South Florida economy.

Growth can be controlled through appropriate zoning and urban service boundaries. Hopefully county officials will be wise enough to implement these so that this area can grow appropriately and in an environmentally-friendly way.

I haven't been that far out before and I'm much less familiar with Palm Beach Co than Miami-Dade and Broward but I do fully expect they will need an ample amount of vacant land as I think you'll see more spinoff development in a decade or two than anyone can fathom. Scripps in San Diego gave rise to a virtual city and I think Scripps fully plans to make this East Coast campus its equal. I also think it will help fuel what Palm Beach Co wants so desperately, its own medical school campus. I do think they need to shift this from Florida Atlantic and Boca Community Hospital north towards WPB, though, to take full advantage of Scripps (and vice versa).

The Scripps campus in San Diego has residency and fellowship programs for training physicians, incidentally. I do think South Florida needs a 2nd med school (and its first public one), though it may be a little too early for Florida to foot a new one on the heels of FSU just starting one.

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I believe the case can easily be made for another medical school in South Florida, probably even two, given the region's population, demographics and our aging physicians.

An interesting point on the medical school campus for FAU. Seems logical for them to locate out there. It would be interesting to see which hospital they would affiliate with or if a new university hospital would be chartered.

Florida International University is also seeking state approval to open a public medical school for Miami. Seems to me that FIU will have to work much harder to convince the Board of Regents that they are just as much in need of one as FAU is.

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Scripps Florida: Realizing the Vision

Harry W. Orf, PhD. Vice President for Scientific Operations and Professor of Chemistry, Scripps Florida

"Florida is on the cusp of developing an important biopharmaceutical economy..."

-Milken Institute report, October 2004 "Biopharmaceutical Industry Contributions to State and U.S. Economies"

About Scripps California

Largest independent research institute in the U.S.

Employs approximately 3,000

$300,000,000 annual budget

~Dr. Orf explained that Scripps was focusing on improving the Drug Discovery Platform. They hope to improve the chances of success in drug discovery, which would make it easier for new drugs to enter the market, and would cut the costs.~

Scripps Florida: What's Unique

3 Key Components

  • Biomedics Research

  • Advanced Technology

  • Drug Discovery

Scripps Florida: Operation Status as of September 2005

  • 164 staff members on site or en route to Palm Beach County (159 at FAU Jupiter, 5 in downtown West Palm Beach)

  • Currently occupies a 41,000 sf building at FAU Jupiter, their temporary site

  • Planning to construct a second temporary 33,000 sf structure at FAU Jupiter

Mecca Farms: Building the Vision

Phase I of the research park calls for 350,000 sf lab, office, and educational space. The facilities would be spread out into three 3-4 story buildings; each building would house specific "Scripps Florida Components" (Biomedics Research, Advanced Technology, Drug Discovery). Also planned for the Mecca site (and neighboring sites) is a consortium university campus, town center, science high school, residential development, a clinical/teaching hospital, and space for additional science facilities (i.e. 3rd party pharmaceutical companies)

~Dr. Orf also discussed the academic aspect of Scripps Florida. They plan on developing an open-access forum, giving Florida educational/research institutions access to Scripps' data, studies, and lab facilities. He also mentioned that many of Florida's graduates excelling in science leave the state to find good employment, and that Scripps wishes to retain these scientists, as well as bring in many more.~

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  • 3 months later...

A very surprising and unexpected twist on the Scripps deal:

Bush: Boca Raton is best for Scripps

Boca Raton is offering 100 acres of city-owned land along Spanish River Boulevard west of I-95 for Scripps. The site is just south of a Tri-Rail station and near Florida Atlantic University's main campus and the Boca Raton Airport.

Biotech companies would be offered land in the nearby T-Rex Corporate Center and the Arvida Park of Commerce.

The cities of Delray Beach and Deerfield Beach would contribute more office land and workforce housing.

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southf...y14.html?page=1

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I believe the announcement of "where" will be tomorrow (2.14). I really do think it's gonna be Boca. I'm down here on biz (again) and I drove through the Spanish River site just the morning. Since I use to live and work here, I really do hope Boca wins. That would really be good for Broward (another place I use to live) too.

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The whole vote was a bunch of BS on who could bribe Commissioner Addie Greene with the most money.

Scripps swing vote based solely on commitment to diversity

By Andy Reid

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Posted February 16 2006

Dollar signs filled in the blank for Palm Beach County Commissioner Addie Greene.

Being the swing vote in the decision on where to build The Scripps Research Institute helped land Greene commitments for $8 million Tuesday for a minority outreach program she championed.

Greene said she walked into Tuesday's County Commission meeting with a prepared statement ready to propose a new home for Scripps. There was a blank spot left for her to fill in whichever location offered the most money for her efforts to help minority-owned businesses and provide scholarships that steer minority students toward science.

"All I was looking for was how to get something out of this for my black people," said Greene, who is black. "I didn't care where [scripps] went."

Greene has big plans for the $8 million.

She envisions providing training and financial help to encourage more minority-owned businesses. She would like to use the money to acquire and revitalize rundown strip malls in low-income communities that she said have become drug havens.

Greene wants education programs aimed at helping minorities with nutrition and money management.

To help local students work in businesses that spin off of the growing biotech industry, Greene would set up scholarships.

Her first step is to set up a board of community representatives to administer the money. She said she plans to serve on the board, but she wants a local minority entrepreneur to lead it.

"It's about economic development and bringing businesses back to the black community," Greene said.

But the bidding war between proponents of building Scripps in Jupiter and those backing a Boca Raton location has some feeling squeamish. Each side offered to stake millions toward Greene's effort for minorities as they tried to win the jobs and spin-off businesses expected to follow Scripps.

Jupiter landed Greene's vote after Abacoa developer George de Guardiola agreed to raise $5 million toward Greene's program, if the commission agreed to build beside the shops and restaurants he helped create.

While that money ultimately could go to good use, the image of a developer offering $5 million in order to land Scripps tarnished the public debate over where to build the taxpayer-funded project, Boca Raton Mayor Steven Abrams said.

"The perception was horrible," Abrams said. "It feeds into the public's worst perception of government."

Greene said she used her position to help meet the needs of economically depressed constituents and she would have been "stupid" not to support the offer with the most money.

"When Scripps first started, they left Addie Greene out," Greene said. "I was just a black woman up there who didn't make a difference, or so they thought."

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So it's not going to Boca, it's going to Jupiter?

"All I was looking for was how to get something out of this for my black people"

^this quote makes me sick. Just the fact that the word 'my' is in there bothers me. And what about her non-black constituents? She makes it sound like she only serves the black people of Palm Beach County. Oh wait, maybe she does! Stupid Addie Greene....

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I was shocked to see this go to Jupiter. I thought Ms. Greene was a little out of place w/her comments and vote. Question to someone in PBC....did the other 6 votes follow county geography? Meaning did the reps. from South County area vote for Boca and the North county reps vote for Jupiter?

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