There are new signs that the growing drug development firm Deciphera Pharmaceuticals plans to stay in Lawrence.
Lawrence-Douglas County planning commissioners on Monday will consider a request that will allow the company to create about 10,000 square feet of laboratory space on the second floor of 645 and 647 Mass.
Deciphera President and CEO Dan Flynn said the space will give his company a permanent home rather than relying on the laboratory space the company rents from Kansas University.
“We want to stay in Lawrence, and we wanted a space where we wouldn’t need to move again in a few years,” Flynn said. “We wanted to move into a space where we could grow and expand.”
Local economic development leaders are excited about the latest activity. Beth Johnson, vice president of economic development for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, said Deciphera — which is developing drugs to help fight cancer — is the type of company that could help Lawrence land other bioscience companies in the future.
“When you can say that you have a small company that started here and has grown, it further ingrains in other companies that they can do that in Lawrence, Kansas,” Johnson said.
Johnson and other city leaders said Deciphera is the type of company that could have major success in the future. The company signed a deal in 2008 to collaborate on research with drug giant Eli Lilly and Co. The deal potentially could provide Deciphera with up to $130 million in capital, if certain benchmarks are met.
Deciphera is expected to provide a boost to downtown. The company has had its corporate offices and a small amount of lab space in the 600 block of Massachusetts since the summer. The expansion, though, will allow all 24 of the company’s employees to be based out of downtown.
“We’re talking about well-paid professionals working at that location in downtown who I think can only have positive benefits on the retail area and the restaurants,” said Mark Andersen, an attorney representing members of the Fritzel family who own the downtown building.
Flynn said he can envision the 600 block of Massachusetts Street could accommodate up to 80 Deciphera employees as the company grows in the coming years. The company, however, won’t be able to do manufacturing of drugs in the downtown. The proposed permit would prohibit manufacturing in the space, or any research activities that involve work with radioactive materials, mutagens, carcinogens, known toxins or animal research.
The permit does include a provision that would allow the Fritzels to build, within the next two years, a 4,840-square-foot addition onto the second floor of 645 Mass., if the design wins approval from the Historic Resources Commission.
“Everybody likes it down here,” Flynn said. “When we have guests come in to meet us, we put them in the Eldridge and they really find the whole downtown area to be quaint. It works very well.”
The Planning Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
Comments
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merrill (anonymous) says…
So long as they don't ask for more big and small government
tax dollars to pull this off. Go to Eli Lilley or the bank and get a real life business loan that has nothing to do with making taxpayers liable for one thin dime.
50YearResident (anonymous) says…
I hope they have thought about where they will park.
tomatogrower (anonymous) says…
Oh, they might have to walk from the parking garage and get some exercise. Poor babies. Or worse, they might take the bus. boohoo
budwhysir (anonymous) says…
Lots of office space downtown not much room for industrial type manufacturing
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
My guess is that the Fritzels have invested in this company, and also have office space they can't rent, so why not do any expansion downtown?
That doesn't mean that the city should just grant exemptions just for the asking.
Moderateguy (anonymous) says…
White collar jobs coming to town you liberal idiots!
Keith (anonymous) says…
There's a parking garage under the building, also private lots behind.
Sigmund (anonymous) says…
During the fallout from the first Dipheria Debacle the City Commission cried more tears than a Evangelical preacher caught with a stripper. They promised transparency but since then it has been business as usual. Limited Liability private Corporations and Partnerships making big dollar tax payer funded deals with the City Commission without having to reveal the individuals who own stand to profit from these decisions. You can be damn sure the City knows who owns these corporate entities and you can be equally sure that this information will never be disclosed to those of us who voted them into office, pay the bills, and entrusted them to look after our City.
I can understand corporate or administrative office downtown, but a drug laboratory? WTF??? Given Lawrence's history with Deciphera Pharmaceuticals this proposed use should be given heighten scrutiny with increased disclosure. We should demand not only complete financial disclosure from the owners and investors but full disclosure on this proposed use. What risks are involved, what kind ingredients will be used and in what quantities, what safe guards are in place for transporting and storing these ingredients, what kind and amount of waste is created and how will it be disposed?
A reporter would ask these kinds of questions of both the City leaders and the representatives of companies involved in this transaction, but it was Chad Lawhorn, a World Company paid City of Lawrence paid PR hack, who wrote this story. A newspaper would have published the "It's none of your business" answers. But this article was published by a social networking site whose owners and online editor spent more time and effort verifying that the author of their stripper blog was really a stripper than getting answers about a proposed drug laboratory in downtown Lawrence by a company whose only known investor was a former mayor who "technically broke the law" by failing to disclose her ownership in a previous city deal andwho was never technically punished.
Doesn't pass the laugh or the smell test.
gl0ck0wn3r (anonymous) says…
A company starts discussions about bringing white collar jobs to downtown and the majority of posts are negative. Congratulations.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"I can understand corporate or administrative office downtown, but a drug laboratory? WTF???"
Given that the World Company has a rather sizable manufacturing facility right across the street, don't expect much in the way of questioning along those lines.
Sigmund (anonymous) says…
gl0ck0wn3r (Anonymous) says… "A company starts discussions about bringing white collar jobs to downtown and the majority of posts are negative. Congratulations."
Sorry, that whole "ooops, I forgot to disclose the mayor was a owner" kind of soured me on Dipheria Pharma. The continued lack of disclosure reinforces the impression that they are owned by a bunch of unethical insiders who play loose with the law and facts. Add to that their proposed drug lab in downtown Lawrence appears to be getting less environmental scrutiny than a new Micky D's would, and my inner left wing anti-bussiness progressive fruit cake just naturally comes out .
BigPrune (anonymous) says…
Hypothetical City of Lawrence response: "Gee, why would you want to add on when there is available lab space already in place somewhere else?"
Smart growth ruined our quality of life
All hail the (outdated it rolled off the presses) sacred cow Horizon 2020
took_the_money_and_ran (anonymous) says…
Companies typically have a much stronger safety culture than universities do, and pay close attention to minimizing their use of chemicals that cost money to dispose of after use. Deciphera has been around long enough to be a known quantity. Have they had issues with the EPA or KDHE? I'd work or live on the same block with them. If this is not a suitable company for downtown Lawrence, what, exactly, do the naysayers think will come along that would be better??
oneeye_wilbur (anonymous) says…
Lawrence needs a 2050 plan and the first order of business is systematic demolition in each and every block in town. At minimum one property per month.
BigPrune (anonymous) says…
Yes, a 2050 plan that can be manipulated to allow for growth spurts and that is not written by a bunch of anonymous government employed citizen elitists who have actually owned businesses or worked in the real world.
ilikestuff (anonymous) says…
2050... May I recommend a strip mall on each block, a randomly placed, shoddy-built apartment complex, a big box store and some more strip malls? Lest I forget, several, expensive round a bouts too.
In order to attract companies to Lawrence may I suggest a continuation of the time honored practice whereby the city offers a prospective company 20 years of tax-free living? That's always worked out well for J.Q. Public
About the drug company moving downtown, I wouldn't be overly concerned about waste. The Lawrence Journal World generates more hazardous waste than this outfit. Of 24 employees, no more than 6-12 are lab based. They're not going to generate much waste.
Best wishes.
Sigmund (anonymous) says…
ilikestuff (Anonymous) says… "About the drug company moving downtown, I wouldn't be overly concerned about waste. The Lawrence Journal World generates more hazardous waste than this outfit. Of 24 employees, no more than 6-12 are lab based. They're not going to generate much waste."
I am not "overly concerned" I am concerned. Just because you think the Lawrence Journal World generates a lot of waste is no reason to give Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Downtown Drug Laboratory a pass. The owners and investors in Diphtheria Pharma we do know do not have a great track record of full disclosure of their finances, why should I now accept their representations on their operations? If they have nothing to hide, then why are they still hiding so many details of their finances and operations?
This doesn't bring any new jobs to Lawrence, they are simply moving them from campus to downtown. The only people who stand to gain are big downtown landlords and businesses who will have a dozen or so more captive consumers, or as merrill would inaccurately claim "=economic displacement." Lawrence doesn't allow spitting on sidewalks or downtown landowners to wash their sidewalks with a hose for fear any waste on the sidewalks will wash into and damage the Kaw. But suddenly the city of Lawrence is going to allow a drug laboratory downtown without blinking? Seriously this smells of insiders greasing the skids complete with a "Happy Days Are Here Again" World Company paid for PR release.
http://www.lawrenceks.org/city_code/s...
So Fritzel is one of the owners of Gcb Holding Lc of 645-47 Mass. but who are the others? Is someone on the City Commission, Planning Commission or the World Company a partner with Fritzel in Gcb Holding Lc or Diphtheria? You'll never know because Chad Lawhorn, World Company paid PR hack for the City Commission can't be bothered to ask, if he did the World Company sure as hell wouldn't print it, and the tearfully promised transparency by the City Commission vanished along with the convicted former Mayor and Diphtheria investor.
Here is what is listed for real estate taxes:
0645-47 Mass $2,567,700 Gcb Holdings Lc
645-47 Mass $2,580,100 Gcb Holdings Lc
645-47 Massachusetts St $2,472,000 Gcb Holdings Lc
http://www2.ljworld.com/propertyvalue....
BigPrune (anonymous) says…
Just call the Secretary of State's office. They'll be happy to tell you who the partners are, free of charge.
JustNoticed (anonymous) says…
"...based out of downtown."
Try this instead, Lawhorn, "...based downtown."