Pennington Biomedical Research Center

[richyb83]

Good article by the BusinessReport. Felt this finally needed it's own thread after many post about this in the past.

Glad to see new leaders like Jindal & co. recognize the importance of this world-class institute! Competition from other states is becoming more fierce! It's a "no brainer" for them. We can't let this opportunity leave us behind. This is not just a "goldmine" for the BR Metro Region but the entire state! Expansion is crucial!! We may finally see the dirt move before Christmas.

Baton Rouge's hidden gem

Pennington

[dan326]

Here's an aerial view of the Pennington campus. The light yellow bordered area is the are that I think also Pennington's, but not sure of.

The campus is humongous and there is definetly room for expansion. If there taken care of and continue to do good work they could end up with a truely world class faciluty.

[richyb83]

As always Dan, your contributions are appreciated, thanks! You sure are right, there's plenty of room for expansion!

Here's a Press Release from the BRAC to help further explain it's impotrtance to our region & state! This has always been a self-substaning institute; but they need some help! This a great investment; a "no brainer"...FL, NC, KC, etc. would jump all over this!

Entire release....

http://www.brac.org/site.php?pageID=199&newsID=185

"If they don't find $25 million when they have a $2 billion surplus, it's hopeless," Bouchard said. "Then the Pennington center has no chance of remaining a leading institution if it stays in the state of Louisiana."

The 20-year-old facility is a 600,000-square-foot health and nutrition research center on a 237-acre site along Perkins Road in Baton Rouge. The modern but crowded complex includes a scenic lake, exercise facilities and apartments for new and visiting faculty - all operating within the LSU System. The center employs more than 600 doctors, scientists and staff, including 70 faculty, and focuses on issues ranging from obesity and diabetes prevention to stem-cell and genetics research to fight cancer.

Bouchard contends the proposed 80,000-square-foot, four-floor Clinical Research Building is needed to attract more faculty and federal grants because Pennington has reached its capacity.

It's through clinical research that Pennington works directly with people and demonstrates the effectiveness of treatments, essentially bringing the science to life, Bouchard said. If the center cannot continue to grow, he said, then its better-funded competitors elsewhere in the country could eventually render Pennington obsolete.

[dan326]

Thanks.

Here's a pic of the Pennington expansion. Judging by the size of the people I think it's safe to say that this building will be about as tall as the 4 story Baton Rouge Genenral down the street.

[richyb83]

Here's another aerial of the Pennington campus; the expansion Dan posted above will be built in the greenspace in the upper top-left.

And....

Gingrich, Pennington events Wednesday

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich will address a Baton Rouge luncheon Wednesday at the Holiday Inn Select in a daylong meeting that also will highlight the 20th anniversary of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/31287309.html

[richyb83]

Knapp lauds state

[richyb83]

Biomedical center expansion on schedule

BATON ROUGE (AP) -- Officials say Pennington Biomedical Research Center should begin its expansion in January after construction bids came in well under budget.

With a $23 million starting budget, Bob McNeese, Pennington facilities manager said Thursday the lowest bid came in at a much cheaper $18.2 million from Milton J. Womack Inc. contractors in Baton Rouge.

After the bids go through the formal state advisement process, McNeese said he expects the contract to be awarded in December for the four-floor, 90,000-square-foot clinical research building at Pennington's Perkins Road campus.

Pennington officials have said the clinical research facility is necessary to remain nationally viable in its research.

http://www.businessreport.com/news/2008/no...edn1/?education

[cajun]

What's going on with LSU's medical school?

Baton Rouge must land that!

[nola17]

If youre talking about LSU health sciences center, I thinks thats staying put here in New Orleans.

[richyb83]

BRAC releases paper on what it would take to bolster Pennington

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber has issued a report, outlining what steps need to be taken over the next decade to make Pennington Biomedical Research Center one of the country's top research facilities. The report recommends increasing federal and private research funding by 300%, doubling the size of the research faculty and expanding the portfolio of patents and start up companies based on Pennington research. Adam Knapp, BRAC president and CEO, says this is the first detailed report of Pennington's strengths and potential for economic growth.

[richyb83]

Chamber: Pennington poised for prime time

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a Baton Rouge campus of the LSU System, is poised for pre-eminence in the biotech world and can place Louisiana high on the global research, health-care and technology map with more funding.

BRAC research shows Pennington ranks 29th among the Top 50 U.S. research centers for attracting National Institutes of Health dollars, a key measure of success. Ultimately, Pennington matters so much because

[richyb83]

Pennington groundbreaking slated for Wednesday

A groundbreaking ceremony for Pennington Biomedical Research Center's clinical research building will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Gov. Bobby Jindal and Mayor Kip Holden are expected to attend the event to mark construction of the $18.2 million, four-story, 90,000-square-foot building.

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/daily-report/latest/

[dan326]

This is so exciting! I can imagine the Pennington campus filled up with nice buildings if the state plays their cards right.

[all2neat]

This is so exciting! I can imagine the Pennington campus filled up with nice buildings if the state plays their cards right.

That would be so awesome!

[richyb83]

Yes indeed!!! It sure would! And plenty more room to grow too!

I would like to see BREC hurry up and start the bike/walking path behind Pennington. Following the DawsonCreek/ Bayou Duplantier urban watershed from Olympia Park/X-treme sports park to University Lake!

[richyb83]

Pennington breaks ground on research facility

Gov. Bobby Jindal and Pennington Biomedical Research Center officials broke ground on the center

[richyb83]

Wanted to get a pic of the Pennington expansion....Business Report beat me to it in Real Estate Weekly. Good to see!

A 90,000 square foot expansion at Pennington Biomedical Research Center is starting to take shape. The clinical research building is set to open in fall 2010. The $22 million facility will be home for the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center, designed to train the next generation of research scientists. Milton J. Womack Inc. General Contractor is handling construction and Washer Hill Lipscomb Cabaniss is the architect.

[dan326]

It came out BIG! I didn't think it would come out a big as it did, but that's good. It gives it a more monumental feel to the complex.

[richyb83]

Expansion at Pennington continues...

[dan326]

At first, I didn't really think this was going to get built but I'm glad I was proven wrong.

[richyb83]

Don't like to see this happening at our world-class institute...and the campus still expanding

Poll: Are you concerned budget cuts are hurting Pennington?

Pennington Biomedical Research Center is in the middle of a building boom, but the new properties are remaining unoccupied. The center has been impacted by building cuts that have kept a $25 million clinical research building from being fully occupied. Pennington officials are optimistic the center will start getting more money from the state, now that state budget issues have been resolved.

Today's question: Are you concerned that state budget cuts have hurt Pennington Biomedical Research Center?

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/daily-report/latest/

[itsjustme3]

If they are short of money then maybe they should sell or lease that massive chunk of land that they own from Perkins down all the way to the Kennilworth neighborhood? Why state money???

[Antrell Williams]

LSU owns Pennington. Or something of that sort.

[richyb83]

A five-year, $20 million federal grant awarded to an initiative led by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center

http://www.businessreport.com/article/20120906/BUSINESSREPORT0112/120909876/0/FRONTPAGE

[greg225]

Pennington introduces new business model with Elite Health and Wellness Program              

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is rolling out a new wellness program for the public that will provide clients with access to Pennington’s research expertise and advanced state-of-the-art technology to assist them with weight loss, wellness and sustained weight management. The Elite Health and Wellness Program, as it is called, runs for 24 weeks and has two levels of services: one costing $4,000; the other, $6,000.

The program is the first of its kind for Pennington and represents a new business model for the research institution, which has struggled for years to develop a sustainable funding stream and monetize the R&D that comes from its researchers.

“Research institutions everywhere are struggling to figure out how to really complement their other sources of research funding, like grants,” says David Winwood, chief business development officer at Pennington. “We do well in that but it is a tight market so we feel this is one area where we can open up and bring in some other opportunities.”

Louisiana is a particularly fertile market for the program. Just Thursday, a new study showed the adult obesity rate in the state was 34.9% last year, the fourth-highest among all states. And a study earlier this year ranked Baton Rouge as having the highest obesity rate—also at 34.9%—among the nation’s 100 largest metro areas.

Pennington’s primary area of expertise is in diabetes and obesity research, so marketing that expertise to a needy population seemed like a no-brainer.

“We have years of clinical trials experience and we’re one of the best known in the world,” Winwood says. “This is making the capabilities we’ve discovered over the year available to an audience that is likely to see the value of it.”

The program is administered by an in-house team of weight loss, wellness and health experts, who measure and monitor a variety of diagnostics such as aerobic fitness, joint strength, response to sugar, and oxygen consumption rate as well as more basic health measures such as cholesterol and blood pressure.

“A lot of people are interested in the program,” says Robert Leonhard, associate executive director for core services and resources at Pennington. “I’m hearing from people who are not only interested in losing weight but in improving their health.”

Pennington quietly piloted the program two months ago and already several clients are enrolled. It is currently accepting more participants and eventually hopes to have as many as 40 in the program.

If all goes well, the Elite Health and Wellness Program could be the first of other revenue-generating programs at Pennington.

“We’ll be very interested in looking at what else can we do that would leverage our expertise and capability beyond that of a research provider and into a service provider in the community,” Winwood says.    https://www.businessreport.com/article/pennington-introduces-new-business-model-elite-health-wellness-program