Published: June 20, 2008 10:38 am            

Tech Park board waives guidelines

The Oklahoma Research and Technology Park Joint Board voted 4-3 on Thursday to waive developmental guidelines to market to a technology consulting firm.

Capgemini Worldwide has headquarters in Paris and employs more than 83,000 people in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific Region. It offers business consulting services, outsourcing services and technology services. No agreement for Capgemini to move into the tech park has been reached.

The research park traditionally caters to startup research and technology businesses by offering customized facilities, tax incentives, public trust and state-supported finance programs, financing through the Industrial Finance Authority and financing though block grant and loan guarantee programs.

According to the development parcel guidelines, the land use of the park is limited to designations of general office, light industrial, flex industrial, laboratories, conference centers and support commercial enterprises.

The park is a joint project of the city of Stillwater, Oklahoma State University and Meridian Technology Center. City and OSU representatives supported the effort to attract Capgemini to the OTRP; Meridian representatives were opposed.

Andrea Kelly, MTC superintendent, and Fred Schultz, member-at-large and former MTC superintendent, voted against the motion because they said they felt it would change the original purpose of the park.

“I just don’t want to sacrifice the integrity of the research and development park and that’s what it will cost,” Schultz said.

Kelly said she objected to the way this issue was brought before the joint board because there were meetings between OSU and city representatives to discuss the issue without MTC representatives present.

“Meridian was not a participant in those informal or formal sessions outside of the regularly called meeting.” Kelly said.

“I think we need to be careful. Are we taking action today ... which moves us to take apart guidelines that are established by the state on tech and research parks? Once we do this, we open the door for anything.”

But Larry Brown, member-at-large and CEO of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, said pursuing the development of Capgemini is in the best interest of Stillwater and the board should reconsider its guidelines.

“(The guidelines) are designed to meet the needs of the community,” Brown said. “To us, that seems to indicate that there is some provision that as the park changes and matures, those guidelines are designed to be flexible to allow changes.”

Board member John Howell, MTC’s assistant superintendent, said he voted no because there are a number of things the park is limited to based on the certification from the Department of Commerce and he did not want to make a decision that would eventually change the nature of the park and lose that certification.

“As a new board member, I’d like to have some clarity on what implications it would have,” Howell said. “Even though we waive our guidelines, what is the implication for the park’s certification with the Department of Commerce?”

Joe Alexander, chairman of the OTRP board, said he thought when the original board created the guidelines they allowed for flexibility.

“To me the overall goal of the park is to try to grow employment opportunities and economic development in the city of Stillwater,” Alexander said. “My feeling has always been that is our principle goal.

“To me this business is a customer care center. I think the discussion (Thursday) boiled down to the question ‘Is this the kind of business we want?’ And I think after the dust settled, the majority said yes.”

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.