Montgomery County could be poised to go global with an ambitious developmental effort that would more than double the county’s current inventory of life-sciences research and development space over the next 30 to 40 years, creating 40,000 new jobs. The Gaithersburg West Master Plan (GWSP), which "is a blueprint for how the (Shady Grove Life Sciences Center) could grow over the next 40 years," would position the county to be an international hub for scientific research, drawing Asian research companies and highly skilled immigrant workers to the area.

“Countries like India and China have been very aggressive with attracting global talent,” said Lily Qi, community liaison in the Montgomery County Executive’s Office of Community Partnerships. "(Montgomery County) needs to be aggressive with attracting and retaining highly skilled professionals and the (GWSP) is a major part of that.”

Immigrants from countries like China and India helped launch many of the high-growth ventures in the U.S. in recent years. A study released earlier this year shows that highly skilled immigrants are returning to their home countries after pursuing an education in the U.S. Kauffman Foundation's America’s Loss is the World’s Gain surveyed 1,200 Chinese and Indian immigrants who returned home to their countries and, subsequently, made major contributions to those countries' economies.

Investigators originally thought that restrictive U.S. immigration policy was the driving factor in why these immigrants left, but they soon found that few were motivated by visa issues. Instead, they discovered that one of the major reasons for the exodus appeared to be career opportunities, or lack thereof. Eighty-four percent of the Chinese respondents surveyed, and 68 percent of the Indian respondents, cited better career opportunities in their home countries as the reason for leaving the U.S.

The majority of the respondents were highly educated with masters and PhD degrees in management, technology or science.

For Montgomery County, which is home to approximately 120,000 residents of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage (over 13 percent of the county’s population), there is opportunity to create a home for immigrants.

“Immigrants have no roots in this country and will pursue opportunities wherever they are,” Qi said in a September 2 letter to Council Member Phil Andrews. “Many, including myself, had lived in several other sates before we settled in Montgomery County because of the great public schools...But many of our county residents commute long distances...It is imperative that we create high-paying jobs to keep high-income residents in our county.”

The GWMP updates the 1990 Shady Grove Study Area Master Plan as well as parts of the 1985 Gaithersburg Vicinity Master Plan. In addition to the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center, the GWMP would include the areas west of Quince Orchard and Longdraft roads. It would transform what currently exists, a "single-use, auto-oriented area" into a center that is "vibrant, dynamic, and walkable with a physical form that is as inspiring as the discoveries that are going on inside the labs and classrooms throughout the area."

"It is a key part of Isiah Leggett’s Smart Growth initiative," said David McDonough, senior director of development oversight for Johns Hopkins Real Estate. "It advances health, science, education, high-income jobs, and provides a great place to live work, play."

It also is part of a larger effort to put Montgomery County on a global scale for life sciences research and development. County Executive Isiah Leggett lead a team of county leaders this past year to recruit businesses from Asia and India to locate to Montgomery County. So far, eight Indian companies have been attracted, which makes it even more imperative to grow the biotech corridor, said McDonough. 

Johns Hopkins University would transform the 108-acre Belward Farm into a research campus with 4.5 million square feet of new R&D space.

Hopkins' plans would expand its presence in the county — namely its Montgomery County campus at Shady Grove, which has 4,000 graduate students enrolled in part-time programs, and nearly 100 researchers employed in 12 local institutes and companies.

“If we don’t build it, we can’t go global,” McDonough said. “There will be nowhere for (Asian companies) to invest. We have the FDA and NIH in our backyards. There is nowhere else that should be a world class center for science and innovation. It’s here. We have the seed.”

The plan has its naysayers who have been vocal about transportation issues that the additional workers and residents will bring to already congested county roads, calling architects of the plan purveyors of sprawl.

Supporters address this issue, pointing to the transit options the GWSP does incorporate.

"We firmly disagree with the assertion that allowing the growth of our premier (Life Sciences Center) constitutes sprawl," said Royce Hanson, chairman of the Montgomery County Planning Board in an October 19 letter to county council members. The plan looks to other non-metro transit options and "recommends transit-oriented development at densities that are appropriate for a light rail or bus rapid transit system."

The county council will deliberate and come to a decision this month. Backers of the plan are hoping for a positive outcome for the future of life sciences in the Montgomery County.

"We are either going to either be a world class life sciences center or we're not," McDonough said. "We trust the leaders in council to recognize that now is the time to take this opportunity to make sure today and tomorrow we are a world class center for sceince and innovation."

To provide feedback and comments to Montgomery County Council members on the GWSP, visit http://www.montgomeryplanning.org/community/gaithersburg/index.shtm.