Groundbreaking held for new 45,000-square-foot Wiregrass Innovation Center
Located on the George Washington Carver Research Campus in downtown Dothan, AL, the Center will be the future home to entrepreneurs, cutting-edge research, educational programming, and innovative ideas.
The City of Dothan broke ground on Monday on the construction of the Wiregrass Innovation Center, a $30 million facility that is part of the City Center downtown revitalization project.
“The Wiregrass Innovation Center will be a destination for innovators, a place for experiential learning, and the nerve center for economic development,” said Governor Kay Ivey. “By working together, the State of Alabama, the City of Dothan, HudsonAlpha, and leaders across the region have ensured innovation continues to sweep across all of Alabama. I am confident this facility will be known as one of the top agtech Centers in the nation.”
The state and the Wiregrass Foundation are providing $20 million and $10 million respectively in funding for the 45,000-square-foot building, which will co-locate the nonprofit HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology presence in the Wiregrass with agriculture technology (agtech) entrepreneurs and innovators in the Wiregrass area. HudsonAlpha Wiregrass will be the anchor tenant and use the facility to provide hands-on training and practical learning in science, genomics, research, technology, and innovation.
Located on the George Washington Carver Research Campus in downtown Dothan, the Center will be the future home to entrepreneurs, cutting-edge research, educational programming, and innovative ideas. Building on George Washington Carver’s rich legacy of innovation, the Wiregrass now takes the next step to become one of the top agtech centers in the nation.
“The Wiregrass Innovation Center will be a state-of-the-art facility where research, education, and entrepreneur job growth and acceleration will all work together toward building a stronger and better Wiregrass,” City of Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba said. “We’re building a home for visionaries who will shape the future of the Wiregrass and the world. This is an incredible opportunity for Dothan and the Wiregrass as a whole. I, along with the City Commissioners, am excited to be working with local, regional, and statewide leaders to expand the area’s potential to provide high-skilled, high-wage jobs, right here in Dothan.”
