City agrees to support KU life sciences project

Commissioners on Tuesday night unanimously agreed to move ahead on a partnership to build a new life sciences incubator building on Kansas University’s West Campus.

Commissioners gave their support to a plan to provide $75,000 a year for the next 10 years to the estimated $8 million project. Douglas County is being asked to give an equal amount, while KU is being asked to commit $2 million worth of funding and land for the project.

The Lawrence-Douglas County Biosciences Authority would provide $500,000. The partners then would seek the remaining $4 million from the Kansas Bioscience Authority.

Commissioners had given preliminary support to the idea at a study session in June. The project would build a 20,000-square-foot building that would provide office and lab space for promising start-up companies that spin out of research efforts at KU.

The building also could be used to attract young life sciences companies from outside the region.

The Lawrence Regional Technology Center, a nonprofit group that provides business development services to technology companies, would run the day-to-day operations of the building. The building could open by 2010 if the remaining funding is approved.