Research Parkway Environmental Assessment, Part 4 (PDF)

APPENDIX A Brief History of the Downtown Research Park Piedmont Triad Research Park | Where Innovation Lives Page of Brief History of the Downtown Research Park In the early 1990s, the Winston-Salem community began exploring the idea of a downtown research park with a first building, the former main research facility for R.J Reynolds Tobacco Co., being deeded to the project In 1991, The Winston-Salem Downtown Development Corporation (DDC) commissioned a redevelopment project which was completed in 1995 by GBQC Architects, Brown and Keener Urban Design in Philadelphia, PA The primary objective was for the redevelopment of the downtown area of Winston-Salem for research purposes By 1994, Universities leaders decided to locate the Wake Forest University Health Sciences Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and eight researchers from Winston-Salem State University to the former RJR facility on Chestnut Street In 1998, the Idealliance was originally formed as the North Carolina Emerging Technology Alliance (NCETA) This organization of academic, business and governmental leaders was created in response to recommendations put forth in a study commissioned by the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce This study, entitled Forsyth County’s Blueprint for Technology Development, was part of a community-wide effort aimed at creating an economy anchored in technology-based business The blueprint suggested an overall focus on two major strategies: The creation of a specialized center and associated infrastructure for starting high-tech companies The targeted recruitment of high-tech companies to help create critical mass in specialized technology areas Immediately after its formation, NCETA began to work closely with the Winston-Salem Downtown Development Corporation (DDC) to advance the growth of the Piedmont Triad Research Park the formal establishment of the Park having resulted from approval of the Master Plan for the Development of the Piedmont Triad Research Park The early development of the research park moved forward despite a fire in 1998 that destroyed old R.J Reynolds tobacco factories slated for renovation for the research park In 1999, with NCETA firmly in place as the lead agency for development of the Piedmont Triad Research Park, the ownership of the Park was transferred to the organization from the Winston-Salem Downtown Development Corporation Then, in 2000, NCETA reincorporated under the name Idealliance In 2000, a new building known as One Technology Place was constructed by Samet Corp., was purchased by WFUHS, and was leased to Targacept (TRGT), a homegrown biopharmaceutical company By 2001, Piedmont Triad Research Park had four buildings on about 10 acres In 2002, Richard H Dean, president and CEO of WFUHS, announced plans for a major expansion of the park, which sits in the northwest quadrant of the U.S 52 and Interstate 40 http://www.ptrp.com/park/history_popup.asp 10/15/2007 Piedmont Triad Research Park | Where Innovation Lives Page of interchange The long-range plans call for a 240-acre mixed-use park with three districts containing million square feet of space In 2003, Sasaki Associates of Boston designed the research park’s master plan which has three districts The 240-acre park, which has a number of historically significant buildings, will eventually have million gross square feet of space The three districts and their themes are: Southern District: Poly-University Campus Central District: Life Science Research Park (where Biotech One is located) Northern District: Mixed Use Village In 2006, with expansion efforts being led by Wake Forest University Health Sciences, the new Biotechnology Research Facility officially opened The 180,000 sq ft building houses the WFUHS Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the Lipids Sciences program with space available for additional life sciences tenants Today, the Piedmont Triad Research Park is a growing urban-based, mixed-use biotechnology and related technology research park that provides for a formula for economic recovery for the community, the Northwest Piedmont region, and the entire state !"" #$$% http://www.ptrp.com/park/history_popup.asp %&% "'( $$% $% 10/15/2007 APPENDIX B Rail Improvements Categorical Exclusion Approval Letter from NCDOT  ... Winston-Salem for research purposes By 19 94, Universities leaders decided to locate the Wake Forest University Health Sciences Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and eight researchers from... Triad Research Park | Where Innovation Lives Page of Brief History of the Downtown Research Park In the early 1990s, the Winston-Salem community began exploring the idea of a downtown research. .. Triad Research Park the formal establishment of the Park having resulted from approval of the Master Plan for the Development of the Piedmont Triad Research Park The early development of the research