It's a Go:
Florida Governor Signs Bill Funding TSRI Expansion
By Mika Ono
Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed a bill into law this week appropriating
$310 million to fund the opening of a Florida branch of The Scripps Research
Institute (TSRI). The Palm Beach County government will provide an additional
$200 million for the project.
"All of us at Scripps are delighted and honored by the confidence placed
in our institution by Governor Bush and the legislature on behalf of the
people of Florida," said Richard A. Lerner, president of TSRI. "We are
also grateful for the support and commitment of the Palm Beach County
government. We look forward to working with our new community to create
world-class biomedical research, learning opportunities, jobs, and economic
development that will benefit Floridians throughout the state. This is
a landmark moment for Scripps and for Florida."
The governor signed the bill into law at Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, a
biopharmaceutical facility in Boca Raton, on Monday, November 3.
"Rarely in public service do we have the opportunity to make strong,
bold moves with the power to change the future of the people we serve,"
said Bush in a statement. "The Scripps Research Institute partnership
is the key that unlocks the vast potential of biotech research and commerce
in this state. Together, Scripps and Florida will build a world-class
research facility that spurs discovery as well as economic development
across the state."
The bill appropriates $310 million in federal stimulus funds for the
start-up operations of the Florida campus—which has been unofficially
dubbed "Scripps Florida." The start-up phase of Scripps Florida will last
seven years, after which time the research center will be self-sufficient.
According to the provisions of the new legislation, TSRI will not expand
beyond California or Florida for 12 years; it will employ at least 545
employees in Florida within seven years; and it will reinvest up to $155
million in royalty income to the state's Biomedical Research Trust Fund.
In addition, TSRI will support education in the state by collaborating
with Florida universities, colleges, and academic institutions, offering
a graduate program there, establishing a science seminar series, and providing
onsite educational opportunities for high school students.
Funds from the Palm Beach County government will go towards building
a new facility and research park, scheduled to open in 2006, as well as
providing temporary laboratory facilities, which should be up and running
in six to eight months.
A delegation of Palm Beach County and Florida Atlantic University officials
toured the Scripps La Jolla campus on Wednesday to learn more about the
operations there. Guests included Palm Beach County Commissioners Karen
Marcus, Addie Green, Jeff Koons, Warren Newell, and Tony Masilotti, as
well as Frank Brogan, president of Florida Atlantic University.
"They asked probing questions about how we operate, the kind of people
we employ, and the general culture of our institution," said Keith McKeown,
vice president of communications and public relations. "There is a tremendous
sense of goodwill in the air."
Reporters from the Palm Beach Post, the Sun-Sentinel,
and Palm Beach's News12 covered the visit to the TSRI campus.
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Officials from Palm Beach County and Florida Atlantic
University—including Karen Marcus, chair of the Palm Beach County
Commission, and Frank Brogan, president of Florida Atlantic University—toured
the TSRI campus on Wednesday. Photo by Kevin Fung.
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