OTSEGO COUNTY — If the proposed redevelopment of the Georgia-Pacific (G-P) site comes to fruition, the University Center in Gaylord is looking to become a center of biotechnology research and education.

“Our objective is to try to make the University Center a center of excellence for biotechnology research through laboratories that when not being used for that research can be shared with University Center partners to provide science related undergraduate and graduate curriculum,” said Jack Thompson, executive director of the University Center. “What we are (hoping) to do is to ideally look towards the development of a research facility connected as part of the University Center mission to focus on the sciences.”

Thompson said the redevelopment project is too preliminary to discuss specific details as far as the impact on the number of students or new programs and degrees offered as a result.

“We need to wait for the plan to come together. As the private sector begins to ramp up, the educational center will ramp up (following those actions.),” Thompson said.

In addition to the research and degree programs, the University Center is expected to work with the Otsego County Economic Alliance (OCEA) to provide education about the biotechnology field via events like informational sessions, explained Thompson.

OCEA Executive Director Jeff Ratcliffe credited the University Center with playing a role in bringing about the development proposal.

“It was important in the process for highlighting our ability to be able to work with Mascoma and Gaylord Lumber Products and our ability to provide a trained workforce and bring state university resources to Gaylord as needed,” Ratcliffe said.

As previously reported in the Herald Times, The University Center at Gaylord (including M-TEC at Kirtland Gaylord) reported approximately 1,200 students this semester enrolled in the nine colleges offering 80 classes, not including M-TEC courses or community education classes, at the Gaylord site, located on the grounds of the J. Richard Yuill Alpine Center.

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