LEDC to buy Fairmont Creamery for innovation park

The Lawton Economic Development Corporation announced plans Monday to buy the Fairmont Creamery to convert it to a technology park for defense contractors.

But, members aren’t yet ready to discuss the purchase price and a start date for the conversion, saying that information would be coming in the near future.

LEDC members met in special session, immediately moving into executive session to hear a presentation from local developer Mike Brown, a presentation that also was heard by Mayor Stan Booker, Ward 1 Councilwoman Mary Ann Hankins, Ward 4 Councilman Jay Burk and Ward 6 Councilman Sean Fortenbaugh. City Council members were part of the discussion because part of the funding formula for the project is expected to be the 2020 Capital Improvements Program, approved by city voters last week.

That CIP includes a $29 million category for industrial development.

LEDC members voted unanimously to authorize their executive committee to purchase the 52,000-square-foot Fairmont Creamery at 411 SE Larrance, subject to funding to be provided by the City of Lawton. The building, an historical structure located just east of downtown, has not been used as a creamery for decades, but had been purchased in recent years by owners who wanted to turn the structure into small retail shops and uses such as artist studios. While preliminary renovation of the building began, those plans never materialized.

LEDC Board Chairman Ron Nance said Monday that LEDC’s plan is to renovate the building to operate as a FISTA (Fires Innovation Science and Technology Accelerator) for Lawton-Fort Sill. As designed, the FISTA will support two of the U.S. Army’s top priorities: long range precision fires, and integrated air and missile defense. Both of those Cross Functional Teams (out of eight total) are housed at Fort Sill, and community leaders have been talking for more than a year about plans to create an innovation park to support those functions, something that also will provide high tech jobs that will bring people to Lawton-Fort Sill, said LEDC President Brad Cooksey.

“If the CIP had not passed, we would not be having this discussion,” Nance said.

As defined, the building — which LEDC members describe as iconic — will become a mainstay in Lawton’s industrial base, anchoring an innovation park to house future sectors of advancing technologies in business, partnerships with academia, a new STEM laboratory, defense-specific innovation technologies, and high tech jobs.

Cooksey said a major component will be support for Fort Sill’s two Cross Functional Teams, perhaps allowing the Army to build on that.

Officials said at least two contractors already have been looking at the community.

James Taylor, small business management coordinator for the Business Development Center at Great Plains Technology Center, said the building has several pluses, beyond its iconic nature. It is located close to downtown and Interstate 44, as well as Fort Sill. And, he and Cooksey noted the high tech nature of its future occupants, which will translate into high tech jobs that will bring and keep workers.

Cooksey said the project will be one that brings multiple entities into partnership, including LEDC, the City of Lawton, Fort Sill/U.S. Army, and academic institutions. But, the focus also will be new jobs.

“It’s a win-win for Lawton-Fort Sill,” he said, noting the community’s economic development efforts are on the verge of expansion.

LEDC and Great Plains Technology Center already are marketing the FISTA, with Taylor serving as the point of contact.

According to a prepared statement, activities planned for development in the FISTA include defense-related industrial space for research and development, science and technology laboratory rooms, and an initial prototyping integrating facility for system integration and development, as well as administrative and operations management offices.

The first redevelopment activity is expected to be the welcome center and administrative office, to be done within the first 60 days after the purchase of the creamery has been finalized. Full completion of the project is expected to take 12-18 months, LEDC officials said in a statement.

Taylor and Cooksey said they could not comment on the purchase price of the building, or when construction for occupancy would begin. Cooksey said that LEDC will be taking a proposal to the City Council, which will be the entity to decide about designation of Capital Improvement Program funding.