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Land Exists for Biotech Growth, Say Palm Beach County Cities Courting Scripps

Posted on: Thursday, 1 December 2005, 21:00 CST

By Josh Hafenbrack, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Dec. 1--If Scripps Florida moves to the Abacoa development, Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens have plenty of land to absorb the state's sweeping vision of a biotech village, argues a survey released by the communities Wednesday.

But development would not come in a tidy package like the campus envisioned at Mecca Farms, instead growing in crazy quilt fashion up the Interstate 95 corridor from PGA Boulevard to Indiantown Road.

Courting the Scripps development, Palm Beach County's northern communities identified enough vacant land to accommodate 15.5 million square feet of labs and offices for biotech firms.

That's almost twice the 8 million-square-foot minimum mandated by Gov. Jeb Bush, but the cities' number reflects a "maximum potential," acknowledged Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Joseph Russo.

For example, Palm Beach Gardens estimated the 683-acre Briger property alone could accommodate up to 8 million square feet of biotech.

"Ultimately, there might not be 15 million square feet," Russo said. "Briger might not be 8 [million square feet]; it might be 4."

Many of the properties cited also would need permits, zoning changes or traffic allowances.

Square footage is a pivotal factor as Scripps and Palm Beach County review alternatives to Mecca Farms, which is mired in legal battles.

In a letter to the county, Bush reaffirmed his insistence on a vision "bolder and broader," as he put it, than just Scripps labs. In other words, room to grow is paramount.

"Floridians will only realize the benefit of a half billion dollar investment of taxpayer funds with the construction of at least 8 million square feet of commercial and research and development uses, including hospital and university research uses," Bush wrote Tuesday.

But can that 8 million square feet be spread over two communities? Last week, Bush said the land could be in the "vicinity," not necessarily all on the same property.

Plans on Mecca Farms called for a campus-like setting, but the county stopped construction of Scripps' $137 million buildings last week based on a court ruling that requires a new environmental permit at the site.

Attention has turned to two very different alternatives.

The Florida Research Park, two miles north of Mecca on the Beeline Highway, is the county's official backup. The 1,245-acre site, in an undeveloped portion of the county, can fit about 6 million square feet of biotech. Supporters of that site note it has one owner in county-controlled territory.

At Abacoa, two local governments and scores of individual property owners would be thrown into the mix.

And land is cheap at the research park compared to Abacoa, where one acre can cost almost $1 million.

"We're surer, faster, cheaper," Florida Research Park spokeswoman Anita Mitchell said. "Whatever administrative things we have to clean up, once we know what we're building, that's all we have to do. Everyone else has to start at square one."

Yet Abacoa has staunch advocates who like the urban location, where roads and communities already exist.

Commissioner Karen Marcus said that although the Abacoa site wouldn't allow a campus setting, biotech companies could go to surrounding properties only a short drive away.

"I think that's a nice, tight vicinity for the Legislature and the governor," she said, citing the seven-mile stretch between PGA Boulevard and Indiantown Road.

Commissioner Burt Aaronson countered that the Abacoa plan's linchpin property, Briger, presents the same problems that have torpedoed construction at Mecca Farms: environmental permits and legal challenges.

He said challenges are a guarantee, even though environmental groups that have fought development at Mecca Farms have said Abacoa-Briger is a better alternative.

The survey released Wednesday shows Palm Beach Gardens with 10.3 million square feet of available space, the vast majority coming from Briger and two properties owned by developer Dan Catalfumo near PGA Boulevard.

Jupiter has 5.2 million square feet, with 2 million said to be available at Florida Atlantic University's Abacoa campus and smaller sums at a number of other properties.

In reality, it might be a stretch to put 2 million square feet of biotech on FAU's campus. That number is based on 80 undeveloped acres owned by the school, but only about half that could be dedicated to biotech "without it being painful to FAU," university architect Bob Friedman said.

"I guess the big hurdles are, No. 1, Scripps agreeing to be at Abacoa and the county agreeing to work with other cities," said Palm Beach Gardens' Russo. "But what we're saying is, 'If you need us, we're there to help.'"

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Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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