Officials with the Danforth center and the community have saidthat the new office park will help bring more laboratory jobs tothe community. St. Louis County executive Charlie Dooley said in astatement that job growth is important to the economic future ofthe area. "As the life sciences industry continues to flourish,where the average worker earns more than $50,000 annually, webelieve this new research park is important to provide the spaceand equipment for promising companies that are ready to graduatefrom a business incubator, and might otherwise consider lookingoutside our region to find the right lab and office space."

The Danforth center is a non-profit research institute with amission to improve the human condition through plant science. Thebuildings planned for the new office park will contain wetlaboratory and office space to support the scientific and businessneeds of emerging life science companies, and will directly adjointhe center, according to a Danforth statement.

Tarlton officials said in a press release that LEEDcertification will be sought for the new four-story building, whichwill have a concrete foundation and structural steel framing. Thestate and local community are providing more than $1 million in taxincentives for the construction of the park. The first buildingshould be complete by March 2009.