Congratulations to USC on lining up former Roche executive Don Herriott to head up the university’s economic development efforts, including the Innovista research campus.
Mr. Herriott has the cred among both business and political leaders, and has shown through his community involvement in the past that he is committed to helping South Carolina’s economy move forward.
Between this move and the Moore School’s plans to move to the Vista, I expect that a year or two from now, we won’t be hearing any more talk about the Innovista being stalled. I have high hopes for Mr. Herriott.
The line in today’s paper that “Build it and they will come is not a business plan,” attributed to Herriott, says a lot, doesn’t it?
Innovista as originally conceived is hardly a monument to President Sorensen’s foresight. Maybe President Pastides can find a way to make it work.
Duncan Buell, immediate past chairman of the USC Computer Science Department and erstwhile acting dean of the Engineering School told ’em so at the time. These things tend to not do well. He also suggested that if they did go ahead they also look into information tech kinds of deals—which require little specialized space, but nooooo–
Intel might have made it work…
$150 million spent already. When will the taxpayers see a return on “investment”? Oh, I forgot, government projects only have to talk about mythical jobs in order to get funded.
Go back to the original charter for Innovista. Go back to all the players who were involved. How many of them still have their jobs?
There *are* some lovely buildings, which will not remain empty one way or another. People, especially who are not students, in this area will be a boon.