Local Incubator & Tech Park Gleanings

Atlanta, Georgia

The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported on June 20 that the 

Robert W. Woodruff Foundation is donating $5 million toward the acquisition of land for Midtown Park, a 15-acre development project to anchor the Atlanta Technology Corridor. The article reports Midtown Park will soon house the Advanced Technology Development Center, a state-funded technology incubator, and the Yamacraw Design Center, the state’s $200 million research/economic development initiative. 



Coordination of the Midtown Park project is being handled by the University Financing Foundation, a nonprofit organization that assists Georgia colleges and universities to obtain research equipment and facilities.



Buffalo, New York

The Buffalo News reports the University of Buffalo (UB) is taking over management of its Technology Incubator to allow for expanded services for its tenants. The article reports the nonprofit Western New York Technology Development Center, the anchor tenant and current manager, will continue to provide other tenants and area tech firms with business counseling services.



Since its founding in 1988, the UB Technology Incubator has assisted 57 companies and boasts a 75 percent survival rate. More information on the incubator is available at: http://www.uballiance.buffalo.edu/index.phtml?locale=ti

Chicago, Illinois

On June 18, Crain’s Chicago Business reported that the creation of the 17-acre Chicago Technology Campus, located in the Near West Side, will alleviate some of the local space needs for biotech graduates of the near-capacity incubators in the Chicago Technology Park. Financed through a state-local, public-private partnership, the campus is envisioned to grow into a 180-acre enclave for businesses in biotechnology and life science research. As part of the Illinois Medical District, the campus will offer a variety of tax abatements, tax credits, and financing options to prospective tenants, according to the article.



Lewiston, Idaho

The Lewiston Morning Tribune reported on June 26 that the Idaho Department of Commerce is providing the city of Lewiston a $500,000 grant for the development of a new business and technology park. The grant provides that at least 101 of the jobs created in the park employ low and moderate income people.



Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on June 21 that the Senate version of next year’s state budget includes $25 million in bonding authority to transform the former Pabst Brewing Company headquarters and brewery into a research park and incubator facility. The bill’s language calls for creation of the Pabst University Research Foundation, a governing board for the park including representatives of seven colleges and universities and a representative of the Milwaukee public school foundation. The measure passed the Wisconsin Senate on June 19 and moved to the Assembly for consideration. More information is on pages 25-27 of http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2001/data/SB55-SSA1-SA2.pdf

Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

According to a June 20 university press release, the University of Illinois will receive more than $138 million in FY 2002 state money for new construction and continued development of facilities in research parks at its Urbana and Champaign campuses. The funding will cover construction of a new $80 million computer science building, a post-genomics research institute, and a technology incubator. More information is available at: http://www.news.uiuc.edu/news/01/index.html