One day after Governor Manchin announced that the State of West Virginia will accept Dow Chemical Company’s donation of land and facilities at the South Charleston Technology Park, the Charleston Area Alliance Board of Directors pledged to continue to invest resources to help transform the property into an economic engine that will save and create hundreds of high-value jobs for West Virginians, attract private investment and commercialize research to help state industries stay competitive in a changing world.

In their meeting last Friday, directors voted unanimously to endorse a resolution supporting the project, which, among other measures, called for a $250,000 contribution from the Alliance’s “Jobs Trust Fund” to the West Virginia Education, Research and Technology Park in South Charleston.

The trust fund was created from proceeds from the sale of property owned by the Alliance at Southridge. The purpose of the fund is to launch projects that will have a significant and sustainable economic impact on the region. The $250,000 contribution does not affect the Alliance’s operating budget, which is funded through private contributions, member dues, foundation grants and government support. Approximately 19 percent of the Alliance’s projected 2010 operating budget comes from public funding. 

“When the Governor asked for help from the private sector, the Alliance was proud to be the first to say ‘yes.’  We can think of no other project that will have a greater long-term impact on jobs and growth for the state than the technology park,” explained Alliance Chairman Jack Rossi.  “This kind of project is why the trust fund was created several years ago. We want to be able to engage these types of job growth projects and push them over the tipping point.”

“This is the opportunity of a generation,” said Alliance President Matt Ballard.  “We are already working with our state and local partners to market the property and its assets, attract new companies and private investment to the site and help it become a research commercialization hub for the East Coast.”

The state’s acceptance of the donation will have an immediate impact on our region, as well. “The 500 families whose jobs were saved live, shop and go to school in our communities. Everyone is hurt when jobs are lost and people are forced to leave the Kanawha Valley and West Virginia,” Ballard explained.

“We look forward to continuing our work with the Governor, the Higher Education Policy Commission, the Kanawha County Commission, the Chemical Alliance Zone, Advantage Valley and other federal, state and local partners to create a recipe for success at the tech park,” Ballard said.

“We recognize the project is a major undertaking. It requires a significant investment. The potential payoff, though, is well worthwhile – sustainable economic development that will spur entrepreneurship, attract private investment and create high-value jobs,” said Rossi.  “It’s about growth, something West Virginia desperately needs.”

“We agree with Governor Manchin when he said ‘we can solve our own problems or wait for someone else.’ We’re proud that West Virginia is setting its own course for the future, and the Alliance stands ready to help steer the ship,” Ballard said. “In many ways, the work is just beginning. But seeing so many people, leaders and organizations work together to make this vision a reality is fantastic.”

Together, we made it happen. Now the real work begins.

The Charleston Area Alliance today is proud and excited following Governor Manchin’s announcement that the State of West Virginia will accept Dow Chemical Company’s donation of property and buildings at the South Charleston Technology Park.

We look forward to working with the Governor, the Higher Education Policy Commission, the Chemical Alliance Zone, Advantage Valley and many others to create a recipe for success at the tech park. This project represents the opportunity of a generation.

We stand ready to work with our visionary partners to market the property and its assets, attract new companies and private investment to the site and help it become a research commercialization hub for the East Coast, as well as support MATRIC in its continued growth.

The Governor has asked for support from the private sector. The Alliance is speaking for its more than 600 business members and the business community as a whole when we pledge to continue investing time, expertise and resources to realize the potential of the tech park. 

We commend the Governor and West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Chancellor Brian Noland for their commitment to the “new” tech park and their diligence in gathering and analyzing the information needed to make a final decision on such a complex project. Through their determined leadership, West Virginia has set its own course for the future. 

We recognize the donation is a major undertaking for the state. It requires a significant investment. The potential payoff, though, is well worthwhile – sustainable economic development that will spur entrepreneurship, attract private investment and create high-value jobs.  It’s about growth, something West Virginia desperately needs.

When the state accepted Dow’s donation, it saved 500 jobs. Today, many of our friends and neighbors will rest easier, knowing they can remain in the Kanawha Valley rather than look for work elsewhere. The Charleston-Metro region is still home to dozens of young minds, who are more confident in the state’s dedication to their future.

Just as important, the park’s facilities hold the promise of creating thousands of new jobs. We envision a globally-competitive innovation center where research is commercialized to meet global challenges and help West Virginia industry stay competitive in a changing world.

The Governor has affirmed his vision in such a center with a higher education component, a model that has been a blueprint for success in other parts of the country. Thanks to the Governor, Chancellor Noland, Vice Chancellor for Research and Technology Paul Hill and others within the Governor’s staff, we can start making that vision a reality.

The citizens of the region and of the state were instrumental in moving this project forward. A grassroots effort brought this project to the forefront of the state’s public policy agenda. Thank you.

Now let’s work to create the future.

Today, the Alliance reaffirmed its commitment to saving and expanding the South Charleston Technology Park as Governor Manchin hosted another meeting to discuss the details and logistics of accepting Dow Chemical’s donation of property and buildings at the site to the state.

The stakeholders are dedicated to making it happen. The Governor asked for support from the private sector and received this message from the Charleston Area Alliance: “We are the private sector and we fully support this project.”

The Alliance is speaking for more than 600 members and the business community as a whole when we pledge to continue to invest time, expertise and resources to realize the potential of the tech park. This project represents the region’s most significant economic development opportunity in decades.  We stand ready to work with partners such as the Chemical Alliance Zone and Advantage to market the property and its assets, attract new companies to the site and help it become a research commercialization hub for the East Coast, as well as support MATRIC in its continued growth. Valley

We commend the Governor and West Virginia Higher Policy Commission Chancellor Brian Noland for their commitment to the “new” tech park and their diligence in gathering and analyzing the information needed to make a final decision on such a complex project. Through their determined leadership, West Virginia is working to set its own course for the future, rather than let others set it for us.  Accepting the donation would be a major undertaking for the state, but the potential payoff is well worthwhile.

In media interviews before today’s meeting, several young MATRIC scientists said they would be forced to move from the region if the tech park closed.  Five hundred jobs hang in the balance as the March 1 deadline looms, and we can’t stand on the sideline while the Charleston-Metro region stands to lose so many quality workers, particularly young professionals who represent West Virginia’s future.

But saving the tech park isn’t just about saving jobs — it’s about creating jobs. The facilities hold the promise of thousands more. We envision a globally-competitive innovation center where research is commercialized to meet global challenges and help West Virginia industry stay competitive in a changing world.

The Governor has affirmed his belief in the vision of such a center with a higher education component, a model that has been a blueprint for success in other parts of the country.   Thanks to the Governor, Chancellor Noland, Vice Chancellor for Research and Technology Paul Hill and others within the Governor’s staff, this vision is closer to reality.

The citizens of the Kanawha and of the state been instrumental in keeping this vision alive. More than 1,000 have joined a Facebook page urging leaders to take immediate action to prevent the demolition of the tech park. Nearly 900 more signed an online petition. In a grassroots effort that gained momentum practically overnight, they brought this project to the forefront of the state’s public policy agenda. Valley

We have much to do. We call on everyone committed to our future to continue to communicate and work together to maximize the potential of the world-class facility to bring innovation to the marketplace and create new opportunities for West Virginia’s coal, natural gas, chemical and other leading industries.

More and more people are seeing the vision. Working together, we will make it happen.

West Virginia’s future looks brighter today.

We applaud Governor Manchin’s leadership in bringing Dow Chemical’s donation of South Charleston Technology Park to the state a big step closer to reality. And we commend everyone who came to the table to make this happen.

By putting aside politics and pursuing the vision of a globally-competitive innovation center, significant progress was made in saving more than 500 high value jobs already here and preserving the potential to create thousands more. While there are a number of issues yet to be resolved, there is a shared commitment  by all parties involved to come together for the greater good of West Virginia. 

The Governor affirmed his belief in the vision of a technology and innovation park with a higher education component, a model that has been a blueprint for success in many other parts of the country. At his request, the Governor’s general counsel and the West Virginia Division of Real Estate will continue to work with MATRIC, the Chemical Alliance Zone and the Charleston Area Alliance to finalize the details of the project as the deadline as the March 1 deadline looms. There was recognition that moving state agency offices is not consistent with the vision of a technology park, but that the laboratories and other technical facilities located there may be appropriate for some specialized state scientific and research activities. 

Governor Manchin has been tireless in his dedication to fulfilling the promise of a “new” technology park, as have the members of the Kanawha County Commission, representatives of Charleston and South Charleston and other parties who participated in today’s meeting.

The citizens of the Kanawha Valley and of the state have been instrumental in keeping this vision alive. They signed an online petition urging leaders to take immediate action to prevent the demolition of the tech park and enlisted others to join the cause via social media. In a grassroots effort that gained momentum practically overnight, they brought this project to the forefront of the state’s public policy agenda.

With leadership at the highest levels and a groundswell of support from the community, the road blocks standing in the way of jobs and opportunity for West Virginia are falling one by one.

Our work is far from over. We call on everyone committed to our future to continue to communicate and work together to maximize the potential of the world-class facility to bring innovation to the marketplace and create new opportunities for West Virginia’s coal, natural gas, chemical and other leading industries. With only a few days left to make a final decision, the Alliance has committed to providing any support to the Governor necessary to make this project a reality. 

We are entering a new chapter in the history of West Virginia thanks to the positive momentum created from the discussion today. It’s a proud day to be a Mountaineer.

More than 1,400 West Virginians and people across the country have signed an online petition and joined a Facebook page urging state and local leaders to take immediate action to prevent the demolition of the South Charleston Technology Park.   That number continues to grow by the hour as people come to the realization that a wrecking ball is headed toward one of the best economic development opportunities this state has seen in decades.

Unless decision makers finalize plans to accept Dow’s donation of property and buildings located at the park to the State of West Virginia, rare demonstration plants and other valuable laboratory facilities could be closed and razed within weeks — taking with them up to 500 quality jobs and closing the door to the promise of 2,000+ new research and technology-related opportunities for West Virginians.

We urge our leaders to come together to preserve and create high-value jobs, make our region highly competitive in research and development and create new opportunities for West Virginia’s coal, natural gas, chemical and other leading industries.

The people have spoken – we hope our leaders are listening:

“The South Charleston Tech Park is key to my family’s future in West Virginia. Please act to keep the tech park open and the companies based there in business. I am a sixth generation West Virginian. Please take these steps so my kids have a better chance to stay in West Virginia.”

“This is the most valuable land asset in our entire region. It is a linchpin for development.”

“The loss of a facility of this type is inexcusable! The talent pool in this valley is tremendous and without the labs contained at the center, we will continue to see our smartest and talented citizens leave.”

“I need my job, and a place to do it in.”

“The federal government is going to spend billions of dollars on energy research over next 30 years to develop clean, CO2 capturing use of fossil fuels and to develop use of alternative energy sources. West Virginia needs to be part of this and capture economic value and jobs from this federal spending.” (more…)

This FAQs list was created to address issues related to Dow Chemical Company’s offer to donate property at the South Charleston Technology Park to the State of West Virginia. We encourage you to learn more about the project and see what you can do to ensure that its potential is realized before it is too late:
 

1. Exactly what is Dow proposing to donate?

Dow has proposed and is willing to donate 258 acres of its technology park including fully outfitted laboratory buildings, pilot plants and infrastructure to the State of West Virginia.  

2. Why does Dow want to donate this property?

As a publicly-traded global corporation, Dow has made strategic business decisions that have resulted in the downsizing of its research and development activities at the South Charleston site.  The company incurs significant expenses each year to maintain buildings and property it no longer needs.   

3. Is Dow leaving the technology park?

Dow would likely continue as a tenant in this park rather than a “landlord.”  This donation does not impact the manufacturing facilities of Dow that are located off of MacCorkle Avenue in South Charleston.  Those plants will continue in their operation.  

4. Are there environmental issues on the portions that Dow will donate?

Comprehensive environmental studies have been conducted by several neutral parties and the data collected show no reason that the donation cannot occur. 

5. Is Dow passing off its environmental liability to the state?

Under federal law, Dow is not permitted to “give away” any responsibility arising from potential environmental issues.   (more…)

The South Charleston Technology Park is on the brink of closing.

Why should you care? If we allow this to happen, the region could lose more than 500 quality jobs. If we maintain and nurture the park, it could create thousands of jobs.

Generation Charleston is dedicated to making Charleston and the Kanawha more attractive to emerging leaders and young talent. Standing on the sideline while our region’s future hangs in the balance isn’t part of that mission.

The time to act is now. Join us from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday at MATRIC in Building 740 of the Technology for an open forum presented by Generation Charleston. The event is open to anyone in the community interested in learning about the park’s history and its potential impact on the state’s future.

To get to the park, take the Kanawha Turnpike exit from I-64, then turn left into the park. Building 740 is immediately on the right.

We believe that with growing support and a united voice, the technology park can become a symbol of our state’s resilience and ability to go the distance for the greater good. A successful outcome will be a transformational event in the history of West Virginia.

President Lincoln said the best way to predict the future is to create it – let’s start by saving the tech park. This is your opportunity to make change that matters.

The Charleston Area Alliance, Chemical Alliance Zone and MATRIC Boards of Directors at 10:30 a.m. this morning will meet jointly to consider a resolution reiterating the importance of the South Charleston Technology Park to West Virginia’s future economic prosperity.

A donation by Dow Chemical Company of valuable buildings and land located at the technology park to the State of West Virginia is pending.

If realized, the project could generate hundreds if not thousands of high value jobs, make the region highly competitive in research and development and create new opportunities for West Virginia’s coal, natural gas and other leading industries.