By Jason Freund 25

The city of Carbondale has applied for a federal grant that would provide funding for research to determine if the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center’s incubator program could be expanded to a new business park that would benefit the area.

Rhonda Vinson, executive assistant to Chancellor Don Beggs, said the idea to expand into a new University Business Park has been a goal of the University since the Development Center opened in 1990.

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We’ve matured to the stage now that our initial thinking and long-term planning have started converging, she said. Our long-term planning is now matching our feasibility.

Vinson was the chairwoman of the committee that prepared a pre-feasibility study to apply for a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. In addition, some city and private funds would be used to complete the study.

Don Monty, Carbondale Community Service director and assistant city manager, said the grant would allow a complete study to be conducted.

If the grant is approved, the city will contract with the University to essentially perform a feasibility study, Monty said.

Vinson said although the new park could be open in the next few years, the true results will appear further in the future.

Those of us with the patience of Job realize we’re looking at another intense 10 to 20 years, she said. There is a point where people become proud of it (the park), and you get exponential and spin-off benefits.

The proposal states that a new park would accommodate business expansions from the Business Incubator Program, spin-off/startup business from the University’s research faculty, staff and students.

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The proposal states that the new park also would provide locations for knowledge-based industries seeking university locations and support.

She said the benefits include attracting students and retaining faculty.

There are opportunities for students, graduate assistants or student employment, class projects and additional research opportunities for faculty and students, Vinson said.

Raymond Lenzi, SIU Office of Economic and Regional Development executive director, said construction could begin in the next few years.

We hope to get the grant, complete the plan and head to the construction phase, Lenzi said. It will take all of 1998 to complete the grant.

He said in addition to employing students, the park’s focus will be on retaining graduates.

We’re looking to have companies expand and capture recent graduates as well as employ students part time, he said. We’re really seeking spin-off businesses.

The major purpose is to eliminate the brain-drain. Most graduates leave the area because there are no jobs, and we want to create more businesses to keep them in Southern Illinois.

Several high-tech businesses expressed interest in moving into the park. Lenzi said these businesses could provide 150 new jobs within five years of the park’s development.

Lenzi said several businesses already in the Development Center, located on 105 E. Pleasant Hill Road, have expressed interest in moving into a new facility to expand their businesses.

We have several businesses that want to graduate from the incubator, he said.

Some of the interested business include DxR medical software, Arcamax radio control electronic firm and Cutting Edge Communication computer consultants.

The Development Center provides business management, technological and financial hiring and training assistance for Illinois small businesses. It is staffed by SIUC faculty, graduate students and business professionals who provide local business owners with education and counseling.

Vinson said the business parks near universities provide more opportunities for business.

A true university-related business park relies on the expertise within the University, she said. It couldn’t exist in a rural area without a research institute like we are.

Monty said it makes sense to have a small business park near a university.

It’s a natural idea that you would have a business research-type park near a university, he said. This is not a smokestack-industry thing.

It’s a brain-industry thing drawing on the talents of faculty and university students.

Monty said the study would include the market for such a facility and site selection, as well as legal and management organization.

Vinson said the committee, which included several business representatives and started last fall, conducted the pre-feasibility study without financial assistance.

We did the pre-feasibility study so we could say (to the University), We would like permission to take the next step to seek real feasibility money,’ she said. USDA funding would be actual hard dollars needed to do a full-blown study.

Monty said if the grant is approved, the study is scheduled to begin in January 1998 and will take an entire year. However, he said the date depends upon when the grant is approved.

One of the common difficulties with grants is they ask for a start and end date, but neither side knows when it will be approved, he said. If it slips, you’ll just push it back.