The City of East Lansing is confident that the high tech sector in the East Lansing area will quickly jump on board with its plan to develop a 24,000 square foot high 
tech incubator space above Barnes and Noble in downtown East Lansing.
The city’s going to start by developing 7,000 square feet, which can accommodate five to seven businesses, by the spring of 2008. The city estimates that at 24,000 square feet, the entire space can hold 15 businesses.
Giving multiple high tech businesses access to reasonably priced
infrastructure that’s right across from East Lansing’s main think tank,
Michigan State University (MSU), will foster high tech growth in the area, says City of East Lansing Manager Ted Staton.
Staton says he believe the incubator will encourage MSU students to stay in the area after they graduate.
Publicom, an East Lansing integrated communications marketing firm, is considering occupying 5,000 square feet of the entire space.
This incubation effort is an extension of the state’s SmartZone concept. SmartZones are areas of cities designed to foster economic growth by putting like-minded businesses together.
Source: City of East Lansing
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
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