Samples Properties brings Auburn University to Cummings Research Park

Auburn University is expanding its footprint in Huntsville.

In February, Auburn University purchased the former LogiCore Corp. property located in Cummings Research Park. The two-building campus sits on a 9-acre parcel on the corner of Voyager Way and Explorer Boulevard.

Auburn University plans to use the multi-use property to expand its research and development opportunities in the area. Nicknamed the Silicon Valley of the South, Huntsville has a world-renowned reputation as a hub for scientific exploration, development, and research. Huntsville is home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Arsenal, and Cummings Research Park.

“We are excited about the opportunities to expand our research capability in Huntsville, which is home to many members of the Auburn Family and our valued research partners,” said Auburn University President Jay Gogue. “We hope this facility will quickly become the primary connection for the Huntsville community to Auburn University and will be the go-to destination for government and industry entities around Redstone looking to meet in an unbiased, trusted location for technical interfacing.”

The main two-story building spans more than 31,000 square feet and includes a 320-person event space, an auditorium that can seat nearly 100 people and an amalgam of office space. Adjacent to the main building is a 9,000 square foot flex-office building — 6,000 square feet of office space and 3,000 square feet of warehouse space.

The Deal

Samples Properties represented both the buyer and the seller in the transaction. The deal was orchestrated internally and organically.

Originally, the former owner, Miranda Frost, CEO of LogiCore Corp., had no intentions of selling the building she developed in 2015. She recruited Samples’ veteran real estate broker Gripp Luther to lease some of Frost’s unused space.

“Our company pivoted during the pandemic and more of our employees were working remotely and we transitioned to a hybrid schedule,” Frost said. “We weren’t utilizing the entire space and leasing some of the excess space seemed like the best way to maximize the building.”

Not long after Luther listed the Frost’s property for lease, Auburn approached Alex Samples — a third generation alumnus and a former board member of the local alumni chapter — to find a property in north Alabama that would allow it to foster and expand the university’s research and development efforts and presence in the Rocket City. After reviewing Auburn’s needs, he realized the specs of Frost’s building fit the university’s unique ask.

“We have toured almost every property in CRP — LogiCore’s campus is a cut above,” said Samples. “Both the layout and location of the building are ideal for educational purposes.”

Samples and Luther approached Frost with an offer from Auburn. Frost emphasized that she would not have considered selling if “Auburn weren’t Auburn.” Also adding, “It was important to me that it went to an institution that would be there for years and establish roots and a legacy in CRP”.