UO RIVERFRONT RESEARCH PARK COMMITTEE
PRESENTS FINDINGS TO PRESIDENT FROHNMAYER
Oct. 15, 1998
Contact: Ross West (541) 346-2060
Editor’s Note:
The report of the special committee appointed by President Dave Frohnmayer to review the Riverfront Research Park is now available at http://president.uoregon.edu/FinalReport.html. Copies of the report of the independent consultant engaged by the review committee are available in hard copy at the UO President's Office. For reporters, copies of the Riverfront Research Park Review Committee recommendations also are available by contacting Ross West at (541) 346-2060.EUGENE–The Riverfront Research Park Review Committee (RRPRC) today presented University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer with recommendations resulting from its six-month long review effort.
Frohnmayer will take these recommendations into consideration, along with an accompanying written study prepared by an external consultant commissioned by the review committee, as he helps to direct future development of the 67-acre site.
"I am very grateful for these many months of thoughtful and dedicated work on the part of committee members," Frohnmayer remarked. "They have done a commendable job of collecting and reviewing an enormous amount of important information."
The review committee, whose eight members were drawn from the UO faculty, staff, students and the UO Foundation Board, was formed in March at Frohnmayer’s request to serve as a steering committee. The committee was charged with reviewing issues related to the Riverfront Research Park and making recommendations about future plans for the project.
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Misinformation [about the RRP] was as widespread as accurate knowledge," the committee notes in the Executive Summary of its report, and explains, "Hence, the body of this report gives a succinct statement of some of the facts the committee has ascertained to its satisfaction.""Upon completion of its study, the committee has found that RRP is doing a better job of fulfilling its original purpose than seems to be generally known," the Executive Summary concludes.
The committee report also includes some specific recommendations, among them:
• The Riverfront Research Park is a worthwhile project and should be continued according to previous comprehensive plans and practices with some adjustments.
• A voluntarily adopted building setback of 100 feet from the river instead of the current 35-foot setback would be desirable, although not attainable in all sectors of the project.
• Building density should be increased in some areas in order to allow larger areas of open space.
• City and university officials should consider increased RRP staffing.
• Building construction costs should be kept down in order to attract future tenants with more attractive rental rates.
• A five-year cycle should be implemented for reviews of RRP progress.
As part of its effort, the review committee hired a consultant, Frank Guinta of Connaissance International, to compile a study of the Riverfront Research Park. Guinta’s 126-page study accompanied the committee’s recommendations to the UO president.
"I’m delighted with Mr. Guinta’s findings," Frohnmayer remarked. "This thorough account gives a clear perspective on the history of the Riverfront Research Park and will be a useful tool as we take the research park into its next phase."
Guinta’s report includes these points:
• "The program of development of Riverfront Research Park compares relatively well with the median profile of research parks, especially in number of tenants, number of employees, incubator facilities and space buildout.
• "In comparison with other research parks [such as that associated with Northwestern University] the budget and staffing for Riverfront Research Park are extremely lean.
• "The three-year delay in initial park development and building construction, caused by challenges to the granting of the Conditional Use Permit, had a significant impact on the progress of the Park’s development. It is likely that the delays in beginning infrastructure and building construction caused several prospective tenant opportunities to be lost."
• "Prospects for future development appear to be very good."
Before making any decisions about the committee’s recommendations, Frohnmayer expects to discuss the committee’s report in the near future with his Faculty Advisory Council, an elected advisory body of UO faculty, as well as with City of Eugene officials and the seven-member Riverfront Research Park Commission.
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