From simple beginnings, Cummings Research Park has grown to become one of the oldest, largest, and most well established research parks in the world. Since its founding in 1962 in Huntsville, Alabama, CRP has been celebrated in numerous publications for a high quality of development and for the excellent caliber of companies located within its boundaries. Among these citations is an award in 1997 from the Association of University Research Parks acknowledging CRP as the Most Outstanding Research/Science Park in the World.

Joint Public-Private Initiative
CRP began as a public-private initiative and has become a powerful magnet for corporate investment. CRP was intended to attract and retain major companies of technology and research from around the world, and to positively impact existing companies. In doing this, CRP has helped companies from around the globe to both achieve and expand wide-ranging business goals. This success has also created significant new investment and employment opportunities for highly qualified area residents. The impacts of success from CRP companies include many far-reaching contributions to multi-industry technologies in use worldwide.

In 1962, the public sector entities involved in establishing CRP included the City of Huntsville and the University of Alabama in Huntsville Foundation, while private sector efforts were led by Teledyne Brown Engineering, with numerous other companies quickly following its leadership. Since then, a steadily increasing number of technology-based companies have invested in the park. The State of Alabama and the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County are now important partners in the marketing and promotion of the park. In many different ways, some hoped for and others unforeseen, CRP has been extremely successful in achieving the goals set forth by its founders.

Established in 1962
CRP was formally established when the City of Huntsville first zoned 3,000 acres of land area as a "research park district." This was in 1962, and the park was officially titled as Huntsville Research Park. The first private company to locate in the park was Brown Engineering, which had encouraged the City of Huntsville to establish a new research park zoning.

The senior management of Brown Engineering, which later became Teledyne Brown Engineering, continued to be heavily involved in the development of the park. Mr. Joseph Moquin, retired president of the company, was instrumental in all phases of development and continues to serve as a CRP Board member. In 1973, the park was renamed in memory of Mr. Milton K. Cummings, former CEO of Brown Engineering.

Initially Managed by the UAH Foundation
The University of Alabama in Huntsville Foundation became owner of a large portion of land in the research park district. Through the leadership of the UAH Foundation Board, the development of CRP was actively managed to help the entire community achieve substantial economic growth and expansion.

Other companies quickly followed the example of Teledyne Brown, and made investments of their own. These early companies included the IBM Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and many others. Throughout the remainder of the 1960's development was brisk, with nearly 1,000 acres purchased and developed by private companies. By the end of the 1970's, the development of the earliest phase of CRP would be nearly complete.

City of Huntsville Becomes Primary Developer
In 1982, the second major phase of CRP was launched. A substantial new parcel of land, exceeding 800 acres, was purchased and masterplanned by the City of Huntsville. This phase was to become known as CRP West, and would elevate development standards in the park to rival - and in most cases exceed - the quality of planned business parks anywhere in the world.

With the expansion of the park to include CRP West, the full masterplan of CRP grew to exceed 3,800 acres. The masterplan would call for man-made lakes, underground utility service, aesthetic landscape berms, consistent and specific requirements for landscaping, and coordinated management of the outward appearance of all structures constructed within CRP West.

The City of Huntsville also expanded the process of managing the development of the park to include involvement by the actual owners and occupants of CRP, the extended local business community, and a board of business and community leaders appointed by the Mayor to provide long-term oversight.

Cummings Research Park, first established as a public-private initiative with bright hopes for the future, had become an obvious success. CRP continued to attract substantial investment to the community and would eventually achieve global recognition.

The Commercial Center
The latest major phase of development in CRP is a masterplanned Commercial Center. While commercial activities are not allowed in other districts of the park, this district will include a new business-class hotel, upscale and casual restaurants with lakeside dining, multi-tenant office buildings for general office use, residential units, specialty retail development, childcare facilities, and other commercial activities.

The location of the Commercial Center has been established within a 100-acre parcel in the southeast corner of CRP West, at the intersection of Research Park Boulevard and Old Madison Pike. The masterplan was completed in late 2001 and the search for a master developer is currently underway.