Uptown Gateway groundbreaking starts UC's digital future
University of Cincinnati, city officials, community leaders gather to celebrate beginning of next phase of Uptown Innovation Corridor in Avondale
The University of Cincinnati, city of Cincinnati, Uptown Consortium, business and community leaders celebrated the beginning of the next phase of the creation of the city’s new innovation district with the groundbreaking of the Uptown Gateway on Monday, April 8.
The $250 million, 65-acre mixed-use development in the Uptown Innovation District will be home to UC’s digital futures building, a multistory, 180,000-square-foot building with office and research space that will co-locate interdisciplinary research and innovation focused on addressing industry challenges and opportunities.
“The digital futures building will increase opportunities for students and faculty to collaborate with business partners to develop new research directions and generate knowledge to position us strongly in our transforming digital world,” said Uptown Consortium board chair and UC President Neville Pinto. “Proximity to the UC 1819 Innovation Hub, which houses many of our key external partners, will be an empowering element for change.”
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UC President Neville Pinto. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services
The university's Innovation Agenda is a major component of Next Lives Here, the university's strategic direction.
The first phase of the Uptown Gateway development also includes an additional 180,000-square-foot office building, a 1,350-space underground parking garage, and a 158-room Hilton Homewood Suites hotel. Terrex Development & Construction and Messer Construction Co. will complete the project in 2021.
“UC is focused on positively impacting education, society and the economy as a Carnegie Research 1 institution,” said Patrick Limbach, UC vice president for research. “This space will be a destination for the types of collaborations with our outstanding faculty that are required to create solutions to the challenges associated with our increasingly digital-based lives.”
Learn more about the Uptown Consortium, Uptown Gateway and the Uptown Innovation Corridor.
Featured image: Officials from the University of Cincinnati, the city of CIncinnati, the Uptown Consortium and community leaders hold ceremonial gold shovels for the groundbreaking of the Uptown Gateway Development. Photos/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services
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