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Stall in Florida Lab Construction Funding Could Jeopardize Hiring

Posted on: Thursday, 14 July 2005, 21:00 CDT

Jul. 13--Plans for a second temporary Scripps Florida lab were halted and perhaps put in jeopardy Tuesday, as the County Commission and Florida Atlantic University wrangled over how to pay for the building.

The delay could impact Scripps' ability to hire scientists in the run-up to the 2007 opening of its permanent campus on Mecca Farms.

The point of contention: whether FAU should pay the entire $13 million tab for the 35,000-square-foot building, or if the county should pitch in $2 million.

In a twist, bartering over 20 acres given to FAU by the county in the 1960s was lumped into the Scripps negotiations. Commissioners want FAU to give back three acres so the county can build a library on the West Boca site. The land is near U.S. 441, between Glades and Yamato roads.

In Tuesday's 6-0 vote, the commission agreed to front the $13 million for the Scripps lab, but FAU must pay it all back and give the county the three acres. The county would still pay about $2 million in interest payments, said county Scripps manager Shannon LaRocque.

That's an abrupt change from the deal the county and FAU had on the first Scripps building. FAU is paying back $10 million of the $12 million cost over five years. Payments on the second building would begin once those are done.

FAU President Frank Brogan will review Tuesday's commission proposal, Freidman said. But he added that placing an extra $2 million burden on FAU might be a deal breaker.

Commissioner Burt Aaronson said since FAU keeps the labs after Scripps leaves, the school should pay for the second building. The county's $500 million investment in Scripps is enough, he said.

"Let somebody else come to the party, as well as us," he said.

"Everyone thinks (Scripps) is a good idea, but no one is paying but the county," Commissioner Karen Marcus said.

But Commissioner Mary McCarty said delaying the second building "throws a monkey wrench" into Scripps plans. McCarty tried to keep the same financing plan used on the first building, but her attempt failed on a 3-3 vote. Commissioner Warren Newell was absent.

"I'm very concerned about the message we're sending. I'm concerned with the momentum," McCarty said.

At the West Boca site, FAU is willing to give the county the three acres, Friedman said, but wants something in return: for the county to lift land-use restrictions that bar FAU from building on the remaining 17 acres. That land swap, unrelated to Scripps, got thrown in Tuesday with the temporary lab.

In Scripps' first temporary lab at Abacoa, there are about 115 scientists and staff. A second lab, housing about 100 employees, would allow Scripps "to continue the recruitment and to continue building the science programs," said Harry Orf, who runs Scripps Florida's scientific operations.

Time is crucial. It takes a year to build a lab, so July 2006 is the earliest move-in date. That would leave scientists only a year in the building before Scripps opens its permanent headquarters.

Also Tuesday, the county hired CB Richard Ellis as a real estate broker to sell 163 acres on the Mecca Farms site. The Connecticut-based company will market the land to biotech companies.

Commissioners said they expect to sell the land for $300,000 an acre, which means the county would make almost $49 million on the land sale. CB Richard Ellis could get $2.75 million in commissions.

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Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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