City commissioners are happy to open the city’s checkbook to provide a jump-start for the biosciences industry in Lawrence.

City commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved an agreement that will provide city funding to help convert a vacant East Hills Business Park building into an incubator for young bioscience companies that could bring new high-paying jobs to the city.

“We want to be in this game, and this is our first step toward that end,” City Commissioner Sue Hack said.

The deal involves a partnership with the Kansas Bioscience Authority, which will purchase the vacant warehouse building in East Hills. The city, the county, the Lawrence-Douglas County Bioscience Authority and Douglas County Development Inc. will provide a total of at least $3 million in funding – and perhaps as much as $4 million – over a 10-year period to the state bioscience group.

The city’s share of the total bill will be at least $100,000 per year, and up to $125,000 per year, depending on renovation costs.

The money will be used to help create wet lab space and other amenities needed to attract bioscience companies to come grow in Lawrence.

Clay Blair, chairman of the Kansas Bioscience Authority, said Lawrence was a natural choice for the state group to make such a significant investment because of the intellectual capital the community has to offer a bioscience company.

“Many people talk, but not many people step up. You have really stepped up as a community,” Blair told commissioners.

The partnership agreement now goes to the Douglas County Commission for approval at its Monday meeting. Blair said he hoped the bioscience authority would be able to finalize the purchase of the 67,376-square-foot building, at 3812 Greenway Drive, within five months.