First phase of Innovation Center construction under way

Three buildings for the biomedical, technology industries will go up at Stellhorn, St. Joe roads.
From staff reports Fort Wayne News Sentinel

Construction is under way on the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center at the northeast corner of Stellhorn and St. Joe roads. The center, which helps workers develop skills for the biomedical and technology industries, is currently housed in leased space at Raytheon Co. on Production Road. "We are moving as quickly as we can to get enclosed before the bad winter sets in," President and Chief Executive Officer Karl LaPan has said. The first phase is the 40,000-square-foot Biomedical Research Center that will anchor the project. It will take probably another year to finish. About 30 percent of the facility could be used for biomedical research. The group plans to construct three buildings totaling 83,290 square feet on 13.7 acres that formerly was part of the Fort Wayne State Developmental Center. The construction is being paid for with the aid of an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The center also received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration in mid-September. The funds, approved last December, will be used to support operations at the center. The SBA grant is part of about $2.3 million in federal funds pegged for the center. Another $500,000 grant from the Health and Human Services Administration will help pay for equipment. All told, the Innovation Center has raised more than $7.6 million to cover capital costs. >Link