UPDATE
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Governor Joe Manchin's offer to accept Dow's donation of the Technology Park, with strings attached, has been rejected.

Manchin wanted to accept the Park donation with the exception that if any legal action was brought against the state while Manchin tried to move government offices there; the agreement to take over the park would not be binding.

A spokesperson for Dow says they are not interested in a plan with contingencies; adding they plan to wait and move forward with any changes at the park until March 1st, which gives the state more time to iron out the political power struggle taking place.

Manchin thinks the best way to financially operate the park is to cut costs at state offices where rent is being paid. He wants to move those offices to the Tech Park, but state law says those offices have to be inside Charleston City limits. South Charleston Mayor Frank Mullens says he's not interested in annexing any property.

MATRIC Incorporated is one of several businesses in the Park, whose future hangs in the balance.

Keith Pauley is the President and CEO -- he says his 150 employees are operating as if there will be no changes.

MATRIC Incorporated has expanded it's operation to Milan, Italy. At MATRIC, Europa, two full time scientists are working overseas bringing ideas and plans back to West Virginia to be developed. A weak American dollar is making it a profitable choice for Europeans.

The lab is located inside a business park with a similar history to the Dow Technology Park.

Pauley says it once belonged to Pfizer Pharmaceutical. The company turned it over to the state, and now several businesses are located there doing research.

"We can do 40% more work with our scientists and engineers then if they hired those same engineers in Europe so that creates a tremendous opportunity for us," Pauley said.

Right now MATRIC is doing work in Europe, Asia, Australia, and a deal is in the works in Africa.

Pauley says in MATRIC's six years of existence, they've exceeded their own expectations. They have created biodegradable plastics, breathing equipment for miners, clean-water systems, advances in the way prescription drugs are produced, and even changes to health care processes.

"We just need stable facilities and a stable situation here at the South Charleston Tech Park to be able to do that," Pauley said.

Pauley is quick to point out that it's not just his company with an uncertain future.

"There is over 400 non-Dow employees here at the Tech Park, they are on pins and needles about the decisions the state is making related to the donation of the park," he said. "We'd hate to lose those jobs as well."

Governor Joe Manchin has called for all parties involved, interested and concerned to come to the table next Tuesday at the Tech Park.

According to his spokesperson the Governor believes that "reasonable people can come to reasonable decisions," and that he wants the meeting until a compromise can be reached, so the state can seize this opportunity.

That meeting is not open to the public.

On Wednesday, Gov. Joe Manchin accepted the company's offer to take the park as a donation but with a hitch.

Manchin says to maintain the park financially, a state agency needs to move there. For that to be possible, a portion of the park will need to be annexed. That proposal is already facing opposition.

As a part of his acceptance of the deal, Manchin is asking Dow that the agreement not be binding in the event he faces legal challenges when it comes to moving state agencies there. Dow should make a decision on that request by March 1 at the latest.

The people who work at the Park now with Matric and those who did so in it's heyday say that letting go of this opportunity would be detrimental to the state and especially the Kanawha Valley. They say the infrastructure and the specialized labs can only be replaced at a cost that would be astronomical.

Pat Boone is with the Charleston Area Alliance.

"What you would end up with is an office park with call centers and things like that versus researchers that are making well over $100,000 a year," he says.

Dr. Gregory Keller worked for Union Carbide and now is the Chief Engineer with Matric. He says if the tech park doesn't stick around in this capacity, "emotionally for a lot of people it would be really a downer, there is no doubt about that." Keller goes on to say, "As much as we have people trying to find a job now and come back to West Virginia and do something there, the jobs aren't here."

At the rally Wednesday morning to "Save the Tech Park," a resolution was read. It asks all public and private entities that can keep the engineering and technological dream alive at the park to put aside their differences and come together with a plan to make it happen.