Conoco moving ahead on Louisville campus

Now that demolition of the buildings on the former StorageTek campus in Louisville is complete, ConocoPhillips is focusing on architectural planning and getting the necessary approvals to start construction. Since ConocoPhillips started preparing the 432-acre campus for construction last November, it has recycled 1 million pounds of concrete and removed refrigerants, chiller water, lighting systems and furnishings, said Tracy Harlow, a spokeswoman for the company. "Metals and concrete were sorted and recycled," she said. "We've been using the term 'deconstruction' because it indicates we looked at every opportunity for recycling."

Over the next 18 months, the company will be working on its master plan for the campus with St. Louis-based planning and design firm HOK. It has not yet determined the budget for the project. It is targeting occupancy for 2013. "They're going full-bore ahead, working with the city of Louisville and the state of Colorado and the county of Boulder to make sure this happens," Louisville Mayor Chuck Sisk said. "They're working as a partner." While the company doesn't know exactly how many people will work on the campus, it has said it plans to seek approval from Louisville to accommodate at least 7,000 over the next 20 years.

The company plans to locate a new global technology center and corporate learning center on the site. It will bring a core group from its Houston headquarters, but most of the employees will be hired locally. The jobs will include scientists, researchers, trainers and managers. ConocoPhillips also will build an incubator to create space for small businesses with niche technologies. The company will help launch and partner with the businesses. "ConocoPhillips has been very vigilant about meeting with city of Louisville staff and keeping them apprised of what they are doing," Sisk said. "They have not submitted a development plan or any formal documentation. "Officials from the energy company were scheduled to meet with the Louisville City Council on Tuesday night.