The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Real Estate Foundation will host a groundbreaking on Tuesday, Aug. 9, to mark the start of construction on its world-class, public-private research complex, Innovation Park.
The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. just east of the Milwaukee County Parks headquarters building, 9480 W. Watertown Plank Road, in Wauwatosa.
Earlier this year, UWM finalized the purchase of 71 acres from Milwaukee County to build Innovation Park next to Southeastern Wisconsin’s largest academic health cluster, where billions of dollars have been invested in research facilities by organizations such as Froedtert Hospital, the Medical College of Wisconsin, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Children’s Hospital and Health System, and others. The Milwaukee County Research Park also is adjacent to the site.
When completed, Innovation Park will leverage the assets of the region to develop strong and enduring partnerships between academia and industry, leading to new products, spinoff businesses, workforce development and jobs.
The August event celebrates the beginning of work on the site’s roads and infrastructure. In 2012, a separate groundbreaking event is planned for the first new building at Innovation Park – a 25,000-square-foot business accelerator facility funded in part by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA).
Expected speakers at the Aug. 9 event include UWM Chancellor Michael R. Lovell, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway, Wauwatosa Mayor Jill Didier, Children’s Hospital and Health System President and CEO Peggy Troy, and UWM Real Estate Foundation board members David Gilbert and Bruce Block.
For more on Innovation Park, see its website: http://www.uwmrealestatefoundation.org/innovationpark/default.aspx
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(CONTACT: Tom Luljak, 414-229-5024, tluljak@uwm.edu)
