Innovation Center fully occupied, receiving inquiries weekly
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
As it heads into its fourth year of operation, the Whitewater Innovation Center enters a pivotal milestone: It is fully occupied.
“We’re bursting at the seams,” Interim Director Mark Johnson said at a Common Council meeting Nov. 6. “We’re getting multiple requests each week for space.”
Johnson and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Professor William Dougan came before the council and discussed the Innovation Center’s 2015 budget and a revised agreement between the university, city and the Community Development Authority (CDA).
Since its inception, the three entities have worked in tandem to foster the Innovation Center’s development. The facility, 1221 Innovation Drive, encompasses 38,000 square feet and is located within the 125-acre Whitewater University Technology Park.
When its concept went from paper to reality, the Innovation Center had a mixed reception of skepticism and accolades for forward-thinking ideals.
“The center has been a success,” City Manager Cameron Clapper said. “It’s been a flagship for success.”
Clapper asserted the development would not have taken off as it had without a true spirit of cooperation between the three parties involved in the development.
When plans for the Innovation Center were first unveiled, they represented a shift in thinking — one where universities are taking part in business ventures. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has taken a similar approach with a tech-based business park in Wauwatosa.
“The mission (with the Innovation Center) is to attract durable businesses that stay in Whitewater,” Johnson said. “We want to keep some of the talent here.”
A revised memorandum of understanding, approved unanimously by the council, includes a few tweaks from prior agreements. For example, it specifies the city will receive an annual payment in lieu of taxes in the amount of $92,500.
