The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the city of Whitewater are planning to development a technology business park.
The city and the Whitewater Community Development Authority have agreed to locate the Whitewater University Technology Park in the southeastern section of the existing city Business Park, house the planned UW-Whitewater Innovation Center on the site and to acquire additional land for the entire project.
The project will cost about $10 million.
"The Center will allow our faculty and students to work on ideas that will help encourage the development of new businesses," UW-Whitewater Chancellor Richard Telfer said. "What we’re looking for is a place to bring all the different strengths of the university together to help with business creation."
Technology Park Board hopes to begin construction of the Innovation Center later this year, said Whitewater City Manager Kevin Brunner.
"I think we’ve taken an extremely important step in having the community and UW-Whitewater working hand in hand to develop jobs, not just for the university but for the surrounding community and region as well," Brunner said.
The Whitewater University Technology Park will be located on 125 acres bordered by Corporate Drive, Howard Road, Bluff Road and Moraine View Park on the city’s East side.
The Innovation Center is designed to foster the development of new businesses based on UW-Whitewater research. Telfer and Brunner both said they have prospective tenants in mind.
The current Whitewater Business Park was developed in 1986 and is one of the largest office and industrial parks in southern Wisconsin. It covers 540 acres with room for expansion and the 20 businesses now located in the park employ about 2,300 persons.
