First technology park to be constructed on active Army post

ST. LOUIS, MO -- Construction has begun on the first building of the University of Missouri Technology Park at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, a unique public/private joint venture developed and managed by the University of Missouri's Office of Economic Development and Research Parks. The 18,000-square-foot executive office building will contain 47 office suites with a shared reception area, conference rooms, training rooms, cafeteria and work area. The University of Missouri System, in partnership with the Missouri Technology Corporation and the Missouri Department of Economic Development, is the park developer and operator. Bales Construction Co., Inc. is the general contractor, and Jon Oke-Thomas & Associates is the lead architect.

The Technology Park will be the only joint-venture development of its kind on an active U.S. Army post. The park is expected to attract commercial and academic tenants supporting military technologies related to Ft. Leonard Wood missions, including anti-terrorism tactics, environmental and civil engineering, defense/mapping systems and training in humanitarian demining.

"Springing from cooperation between the U.S. Army, the Missouri Department of Economic Development and the University of Missouri System, this new $4 million research park will provide exciting new opportunities for scientific discovery, entrepreneurial activity and military excellence, " said Missouri Governor Bob Holden. "It is quite an innovative concept."

The Class A office building is being constructed of brick masonry with a bronze, standing-seam metal roof. Construction is scheduled for completion by August 1, 2002.

The University of Missouri Technology Park at Ft. Leonard Wood is designed to encourage greater cooperation among the military and private companies, and will support the Army in training and equipping chemical, engineering and military-police personnel.

The development should provide good job opportunities for family members of the military and others in the local community. The 1997 "National Study of the Changing Work-force" conducted by the Families and Work Institute estimates that 78 percent of two-adult households have both adults working, but among U.S. military families, only 58 percent of spouses are employed. At. Ft. Leonard Wood, only 45 percent of two-adult families have two jobs. Garrison Commander Colonel Joel Himsl estimates that the technology park will eventually create about 950 new jobs for Army spouses.

The Ft. Leonard Wood technology park should provide the University of Missouri greater opportunities to transfer new technologies from their research labs, provide work experience for their Rolla campus students, and provide the University jobs for its alumni.

Ft. Leonard Wood is home to the Army's Maneuver Support Center (MANSCEN) as it has the Army's chemical, engineer and military police schools. Ft. Leonard Wood has the largest joint service training mission in the Army.

The Missouri Research Park in St. Charles and the Technology Park at Ft. Leonard Wood are projects of the University of Missouri Office of Economic Development and Research Parks, whose mission is to support Missouri's economic growth by developing and sustaining research and technology alliances among the University, government agencies and private companies. The Missouri Research Park now has a total of 1,100,000 square feet under roof and is home to 15 companies and 2 Federal installations that employ a total of over 1800 employees. For more information, call, Rick Finholt, Executive Director, at (636) 441-7701.