CarrAmerica Development Inc., a subsidiary of CarrAmerica
Realty Corporation (NYSE:CRE), has been selected for
exclusive negotiations to be the master developer of a UC
Davis research park planned on 38 acres along Interstate 80
in the southern portion of the University of California,
Davis, campus.
The privately developed research park, which will encourage
beneficial research partnerships between UC Davis and
private, public or nonprofit organizations, would begin
construction in 2003 pending further approvals by the UC
Board of Regents.
"This project was initiated to promote partnerships that
enhance our research activities," said John Meyer, vice
chancellor of resource management and planning. "We also
strongly believe that this will promote regional economic
development. UC Davis is a top research institution and well-
positioned to bring greater benefits to the region."
CarrAmerica, a national real estate company with local
offices in the San Francisco Bay Area, would manage the
development of facilities that would then be leased to
various public and private research entities approved by the
campus. The university would have final oversight and
approval for tenants of the park, carried out by an advisory
board composed of academic and administrative campus leaders.
Criteria for business lease proposals would require that the
tenant have a research relationship with the campus.
The CarrAmerica master development team includes New York-
based Turner Construction and the architectural firm Dowler
Gruman of Mountain View.
CarrAmerica has extensive experience in the development of
business parks including research space and biotechnology
users. In addition CarrAmerica has the financial resources
needed for the project. Turner Construction and Dowler Gruman
have experience in the construction and design of research
facilities.
The UC Davis research park will occupy 27 acres of land south
of I-80 and west of Old Davis Road, and another 11 acres of
land north of I-80 and south of the UC Davis Arboretum at the
south entry to the campus. The land is currently being used
to grow research crops.
The 1994 Long Range Development Plan for UC Davis included
about 80 acres for potential research parks. In addition to
the primary sites adjacent to I-80, approximately 40 acres of
land to the west of Highway 113 have been designated for
future enterprise development. The research park concept was
approved by campus administrators and faculty in spring of
2000, and has been endorsed by faculty through the Academic
Senate.
UC Davis annually is awarded more than $275 million in
research funding from a variety of government and private
sources. Campus research includes work in agriculture,
biotechnology and computer science, and the campus is
investing in the fields of mouse biology, genetics and
genomics research.
UC Davis has a unique combination of academic resources to
fuel collaborations with both the public and private sectors,
including the world's leading School of Veterinary Medicine,
one of the nation's top medical schools, an internationally
recognized College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, a Division of Biological Sciences, Center for
Comparative Medicine, Regional Primate Research Center and
College of Engineering.
A number of research businesses, from both the private and
public sector, have already expressed an interest in locating
to the new UC Davis site.
In the coming months, the master plan will be developed,
ground lease business terms will be negotiated and a
marketing plan developed. Additional environmental impact
studies will be conducted as needed and final UC Regents'
approval of the plan, design guidelines and ground lease
business terms is expected in 2003.
Media contacts:
John Meyer, Resource Management and Planning, (530) 752-7941, jameyer@ucdavis.edu
Kathleen Kelleher, Resource Management and Planning, (530)
754-7129, kkkelleher@ucdavis.edu
Karen Widmayer, CarrAmerica, (202) 729-2789, Karen.Widmayer@CarrAmerica.com
Lisa Lapin, News Service, (530) 752-9842, lalapin@ucdavis.edu