By Eric Heisler

Missouri officials are touting an initial spurt of growth at what they're calling the nation's first technology business park on an active Army post.

The University of Missouri Technology Park at Fort Leonard Wood sits on the base in central Missouri.

Today, it is made up of just two small office buildings. But with the Army continuing to outsource functions, the park's founders believe it eventually could grow to 500,000 square feet.

"The demand for this is just huge," said Rick Finholt, who's leading the effort to develop the 62-acre site. "What we're really doing here is providing space for the contractors and consultants who work with the military at Fort Leonard Wood."

Finholt, who's also the director of Missouri Research Park in St. Charles County, envisions a vibrant park that one day is home to many technology-based firms that work with the military. A business plan calls for 250,000 square feet of space to be built within five years. But Finholt said there's room for much more.

The tech park is important, Finholt said, because it fills a demand for office space that neither the private sector nor the military is meeting.

The space is needed by the many businesses contracted to perform services for the Army at Fort Leonard Wood. But high-level office buildings are rare in the area around the base.

It's a need that the military has a tough time addressing because of the length of time it takes the Army to construct a building, Finholt said. And private developers often shy away from a situation where they're dependent on military leases and contracts, he said.

"A lot of the (office) space around here is just not real professional," said Roger Gunter, of Concurrent Technologies Corp., which works with the military on issues involving explosives.

"You may be next to a bar or an adult establishment. That just doesn't give you a real corporate image. ... This park looks business-oriented, and it's a good first impression," he said.

Last month, the university recognized the opening of the park's second 18,000-square-foot building. The first one opened in 2002.

The park's roots are in the late 1990s, when Gen. Robert Flowers, then the commanding officer of Fort Leonard Wood, approached the university and the Missouri Department of Economic Development, Finholt said.

From there, the Army and state worked out details for a joint venture of the two government entities to take over 62 acres in the middle of the base and build a park that matched the Army buildings and was suitable for high-tech companies.

Current tenants include Concurrent Technologies, Battelle Memorial Institute and Camber Corp.

Among other work, Concurrent Technologies develops training programs for active duty personnel. Some of the programs involve dealing with car bombs and other explosives.

It's important for the company to be on base, Gunter said. "We need to be accessible and ready to respond quickly to the military's needs," he said.

Gunter started the local office of the company out of his home near Fort Leonard Wood. But as the company expanded, he needed a larger office. His choices: lease a less desirable location or build his own office. But when the park opened, his menu of choices was expanded, and he said he decided to lease 5,000 square feet there.