Milk, Money, and Jobs
The days of Lawton’s old Fairmont Creamery producing creamy delights are long gone, but the red-brick building may soon again be producing somethings area residents want even more – jobs and money.
The Lawton Fort Sill Economic Development Corporation(LEDC) is set to purchase the vacant creamery for $2.5 million with plans to renovate it into a hub for the city’s economic development and job creation efforts. The price includes estimated renovation costs. Funding to buy the multi-story plant will come from the 2016-2019 Industrial Development Sales Tax collections.
The building is located at 411 Larrance St. Lawton City Council members were expected to approve the purchase at this week’s City Council meeting. “This is a major paradigm shift for this community,” James Taylor, director of the Fires Innovation Science and Technology Accelerator (FISTA) said of the purchase. “This is the biggest economic plan in city history.” Brad Cooksey, LEDC president, said the dairy will become an “Innovation Park” housing advancing technologies in business, “partnerships with academia, a new STEM laboratory” and “defense-specific innovative technologies and high-tech jobs.”
Taylor said once the building purchase is finalized a detailed assessment of the structure will be made to determine what renovations and adaptations are needed to make the building suitable for its new mission. Initial construction efforts are scheduled to begin in the first 60 days following finalization of the purchase. Those renovations will include creation of a Welcome Center and administrative office on the north end of the building. The full project is expected to take up to 18 months to complete. “That’s our timeline once we get in there,” Parker said. “At this point we aren't expecting any surprises.”
Ft. Sill has given city leaders a “solid commitment” to support the venture, he added. City leaders expect most of the businesses and jobs that will eventually be housed in the building will be directly related to Ft. Sill’s field artillery mission. Across the nation, scores of large cities and mid-sized communities like Lawton are turning to the development of old buildings, particularly idled factory structures, to house new businesses and industries. The creamery was purchased by local investors and partially renovated several years ago. But plans to turn the building into a home for local artists and artist studios fell through.
Business incubators such as the one proposed in Lawton, frequently house hi-tech companies, innovative industries and new business start-ups. They also can host a variety of small stores and offices. They are designed to speed up the growth of fledgling businesses. They also are created to help boost possible investor funding and funding from local, state and federal governments. The U.S.-based International Business Innovation Association estimates there are about 7,000 business incubators worldwide. The National Business Incubation Association estimates about 1,400 are scattered across America.
In Oklahoma, the state Department of Commerce lists 32 business incubators operating in state. The list includes two already running in Lawton. They are the Center for Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurial Studies at Cameron University and the Great Plains Technology Center Business Incubator and 1601 S.W. Park Ridge Blvd.