Starbucks opening plant in Augusta, creating 140 jobs (town, downtown)

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

The research center, NCI cancer center, top 50 in the US for NIH funds, $100 million cancer center, $5 million towards the existing cancer center is more in line with research than being a college city.

I think you're just unfamiliar with the type of research that goes on at a typical research university; this is right in line with that. Therefore, it will put Augusta more in the ranks of Columbia, Knoxville, Winston-Salem, Baton Rogue, Lexington, etc. It won't be enough to propel Augusta into the league of Raleigh-Durham; again, that region has three research universities (Duke, UNC, NC State) among the nation's most notable, along with a handful of smaller institutions (NC Central, Shaw, Meredith, St. Augustine, etc.). GRU is just one institution and won't come anywhere close to matching that and it's delusional to think otherwise.

I seriously doubt the smaller cities in NC/SC were considered, because one of Starbucks plants is located right outside of Columbia.

It also has plants in Minden, NV (a town of 3,000) and York, PA (a town of 44,000) so it's very conceivable that smaller towns in the Carolinas were considered. I contend that they had to, if quality of life was such a deciding factor. More than likely it wouldn't have been if other similarly-sized cities were considered, since they all offer a lot of the same sorts of amenities, more or less.

[cozzy]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

It also has plants in Minden, NV (a town of 3,000) and York, PA (a town of 44,000) so it's very conceivable that smaller towns in the Carolinas were considered. I contend that they had to, if quality of life was such a deciding factor. More than likely it wouldn't have been if other similarly-sized cities were considered, since they all offer a lot of the same sorts of amenities, more or less.

Pretty sure I read somewhere the smaller towns in the Carolinas were considered and that Augusta was chosen just based on symbology.

[nortonguy]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

I think you're just unfamiliar with the type of research that goes on at a typical research university; this is right in line with that. Therefore, it will put Augusta more in the ranks of Columbia, Knoxville, Winston-Salem, Baton Rogue, Lexington, etc. It won't be enough to propel Augusta into the league of Raleigh-Durham; again, that region has three research universities (Duke, UNC, NC State) among the nation's most notable, along with a handful of smaller institutions (NC Central, Shaw, Meredith, St. Augustine, etc.). GRU is just one institution and won't come anywhere close to matching that and it's delusional to think otherwise.

I don't expect Augusta to reach the level of Raleigh-Durham anytime soon. I'm saying pound for pound Augusta will become a similar city in this industry.

I don't think you're presently giving Augusta enough credit. Augusta is just starting on it's brand new university from scratch(GHSU/ASU), and those are major universities already. Gov Deal wants Augusta to enter the top 50, and become the second NCI cancer center in the state. Columbia, Knoxville, Lexington, and Baton Rogue don't have NCI cancer centers. The Markey cancer center in Lexington is applying to become one, but it's not at the moment. Being ranked in the top 50, and having the NCI cancer center equals millions in additional NIH funds.

How would the developments put Augusta more in the ranks with those cities? Augusta is already currently receiving more NIH than all of them except for Wake Forest, UK, and LSU.

2012 NIH funds

Wake Forest: $92 million
Kentucy: $83 million
LSU: $52 million
GHSU: $46 million
U of Tennessee: $38 million
University of South Carolina: $31 million

NIH Awards by Location and Organization - NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT)

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

I don't expect Augusta to reach the level of Raleigh-Durham anytime soon. I'm saying pound for pound Augusta will become a similar city in this industry.

I don't think you're presently giving Augusta enough credit. Augusta is just starting on it's brand new university from scratch(GHSU/ASU), and those are major universities already. Gov Deal wants Augusta to enter the top 50, and become the second NCI cancer center in the state. Columbia, Knoxville, Lexington, and Baton Rogue don't have NCI cancer centers. The Markey cancer center in Lexington is applying to become one, but it's not at the moment. Being ranked in the top 50, and having the NCI cancer center equals millions in additional NIH funds.

How would the developments put Augusta more in the ranks with those cities? Augusta is already currently receiving more NIH than all of them except for Wake Forest, UK, and LSU.

2012 NIH funds

Wake Forest: $92 million
Kentucy: $83 million
LSU: $52 million
GHSU: $46 million
U of Tennessee: $38 million
University of South Carolina: $31 million

NIH Awards by Location and Organization - NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT)

You're restricting this to just medical research; I'm talking about research period, across a variety of fields. Medical research will just so happen to be GRU's niche, but other institutions have their research niches also. Looking at total research funding, it's clear that GRU still has ground to make up to reach the level of Wake Forest, UK, LSU, UT, USC, etc:

GHSU: $99 million
USC: $226 million
LSU: $152 million
UK: $337 million
UT: $188 million
MUSC: $234 million
Wake Forest: $234 million for Wake Forest Baptist alone

The gap between GHSU/GRU and those schools is already large, but it's conceivable that it could significantly close the gap, even if not entirely. But just Duke by itself had research expenditures pushing $1 billion for 2010 ($983 million); throw in the $759 million at UNC and the $380 million for NC State, and it's clear that putting Augusta in the same sentence as Raleigh/Durham in terms of research is one huge stretch. Maybe it can compete in an aspect here or there, but overall? It's time to put that whole notion to rest.

[nortonguy]

I'm focusing on medical, because Augusta/Raleigh are mostly based on this. The NIH funds is where the money is located in terms of research dollars.

There's a big difference in terms of funding when it comes to metros with NCI cancer centers, and top 50 medical schools. I mean $45 million(almost half) of the total funding at GHSU is related to the NIH. The majority of funding at Emory(Georgia's only NCI cancer center at the moment), is because of NIH funds.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

I'm focusing on medical, because Augusta/Raleigh are mostly based on this. The NIH funds is where the money is located in terms of research dollars.

There's a big difference in terms of funding when it comes to metros with NCI cancer centers, and top 50 medical schools. I mean $45 million(almost half) of the total funding at GHSU is related to the NIH. The majority of funding at Emory(Georgia's only NCI cancer center at the moment), is because of NIH funds.

It's true that NIH is the source of a large share of research dollars, but it's obvious that it's not the only source. Otherwise, GHSU would already rank above those other institutions for total research funding based on the fact that it receives more NIH funding, but that's not the case at all.

Even in terms of medical, the research funding gap between anything GRU could realistically achieve and what the Triangle already gets is just way too large for any sort of realistic comparison between the two, present or future. I'd stick with comparisons to Winston-Salem, Charleston, Lexington, etc. as far as potential economic impact related to medical research funding. As I stated, at most it would make Augusta more of a typical midsized college city, not another Triangle.

[dichloromethane]

Starbucks's acquisition of Atlanta based Teavana should definitely do some good for our state. Maybe even make us a lot healthier!

[cozzy]

Originally Posted by dichloromethane

Starbucks's acquisition of Atlanta based Teavana should definitely do some good for our state. Maybe even make us a lot healthier!

Hopefully that is the case. GA is so full of unhealthy people.

[amlovingit]

The mayor was on 96.3 kiss this morning he said it should more announcements on more jobs coming to the Industrial Park location in 2013. He said he can't give any names as of now but should hear about aleast two more businesses coming by Starbucks.

the Inside Story on 96.3,Mayor Deke Copenhaver said that isn't actually the case.

"Wayne Guilfoyle is Asian-American, Mary Davis is a female ... so all this five and five,it's really not that anymore," he said,making this the most diverse commission in recent memory.

[nortonguy]

Thanks amlovingit for posting the excellent news. I'm thinking Georgia Power and the other company being a wood pellet processing facility. Starbucks is located in the Corporate Park not to be confused with the new Augusta Regional Industrial Park.. A few people new to Augusta reading the forum might not know the difference.