MANHATTAN -- With the Kansas Department of Agriculture becoming a pillar tenant at Kansas State University's Research Park, the vision for a north campus corridor of bioscience-focused research in Manhattan becomes much clearer.

"This move gives Kansas critical mass as we build our capacity to be a global leader in producing and protecting the world's food supply," said Kirk Schulz, Kansas State University President. "Other states have found tremendous synergy by locating university and state government resources together."

Development of the new three-story, 50,000-square-foot facility will be undertaken by the Kansas State University Foundation, and will be leased to the department for a 20-year period. Immediately adjacent to the Kansas State University Institute of Commercialization and the upcoming National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, the new location will enable access to university expertise and research. Close proximity is also provided to the College of Agriculture, Kansas State Research and Extension, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the university's international grain science complex and U.S. Department of Agriculture facilities.

"With the Kansas Department of Agriculture located in the research park it allows the university to maximize its growing strengths in the biosciences," said Fred Cholick, president and CEO of the KSU Foundation. "The energy in this partnership will leverage the momentum of the April start of construction of NBAF, serving as a catalyst to develop the commercialization and research focus of the northeast corridor of the campus."