The Executive Committee of the Georgia Medical Center Authority heard from three firms Friday before choosing Hammer Siler George Associates of Silver Spring, Md.

The full authority will meet June 29 to vote on the selection. Also Friday, the authority sent out requests for qualifications for companies to do a Web site and marketing plan.

''This is a huge step forward for the Georgia Medical Center Authority and for this community,'' said authority Chairman William A. Bloodworth Jr., the president of Augusta State University.

Authority Chairman William A. Bloodworth Jr. calls the Hammer Siler selection ''a huge step forward.'' SPECIAL

Hammer Siler was rated highest by authority consultants Cathy Slade and Dr. Michael Gabridge. What set the firm apart is its ability to quickly size up and report on the research and potential for research in Augusta, Ms. Slade said.

The group did not want tosettle on a park ''without evaluating what the potential is here in Augusta and having an honest discussion of that,'' Ms. Slade said.

That is a key to finding success with a research park, Dr. Bloodworth said.

''One of the important goals of this planning effort is to identify the specific kinds of companies that can be developed in Augusta or attracted to Augusta and sustained as viable commercial enterprises as a result of scientific research and knowledge in Augusta,'' Dr. Bloodworth said.

All three firms emphasized that approach in their presentations to the committee. Many communities already have or are pursuing a research park, so having a specific focus would help, said Stephan Rodiger, senior consultant with KPMG Consulting of McLean, Va.

''You have to get a niche; you have to focus on what you do best,'' he said. ''That's how you get a competitive edge.''

In addition to biotechnology, most research parks also include information systems technology, and that might be something the Augusta park needs to embrace, said Vernon George, the president of Hammer Siler. The park will need strong and broad-based community leadership, similar to the type his firm assembled to back the highly successful Virginia Bio-Technology Research Park in Richmond, Va.

That leadership needs to get across the message that of the jobs in a research park such as the one in Virginia, 30 percent went to people with less than a four-year degree and 20 percent went to people with less than a two-year degree, Mr. George said.

But finding the companies that bring in those jobs will depend on Augusta's leadership and Augusta's strengths, he added.

''The prize is great. The competition is keen,'' Mr. George said. ''(But) it needs to be in the context of what can we reasonably achieve.''

The firm has developed successful parks in St. Louis and Louisville, Ky., among other places, he said.

Ms. Slade said if negotiations go well the firm might be able to start July 1. It has given an estimate of 16 weeks to complete the initial planning, although the beginning of next year might be a more realistic start date.

When the planning is done, the authority can look at where and how it will finance a research park, said authority member Shankar Balan of Palmetto Industries and e2Procure.

''That will be part of what they're recommending also, whether we have to do a bond'' or find some other source, Mr. Balan said.

The authority was charged in December with promoting biotechnology and capitalizing on research in Augusta, particularly at the Medical College of Georgia. But its first six months were spent largely on study and deciding on a direction. On Friday, members seemed upbeat about making the decision.

''This is really a good step,'' Mr. Balan said.

Reach Tom Corwin at (706) 823-3213 or tomc@augustachronicle.com.