Jedo Supports Evolving Innovation District Vision, Votes In Favor Of Catalytic Innovation Center 2.0 Buildout

At its meeting Wednesday, Topeka and Shawnee County’s Joint Economic Development Organization (JEDO) board took a bold step forward in developing downtown Topeka’s ASTRA Innovation District. The board voted to approve Innovation Center 2.0, a catalytic project that will help meet the needs of the area’s growing innovation ecosystem.

Innovation Center 2.0 is being planned for 220 S.E. 6th St. It supports innovation strategies championed by the community through Momentum 2022 and Momentum 2027, encouraging development of the Innovation District. The new space will result in a significant amount of lab space downtown to support cutting-edge research, entrepreneurship, and collaboration. Innovation 2.0 also allows for more certainty over the construction timeline, resulting in early 2026 completion.

“Innovation Center 2.0 includes all the key components of the initial project in a smaller footprint, with an emphasis on lab space to support bioscience initiatives,” said Stephanie Moran, GO Topeka’s senior vice president of innovation. “While we remain committed to supporting development of innovation assets throughout the community, this updated plan helps us get lab space online sooner rather than later, enabling us to capture startup opportunities we might otherwise forfeit to nearby communities.”

“With Innovation Center 2.0, we’re taking control of our own destiny, which is what Topeka has been doing for the past five-plus years,” said Mark Ruelle, chair of GO Topeka’s Innovation Advisory Board. “Starting with a smaller, more manageable footprint made a lot of sense. We hope to see construction starting by early summer 2025.”

“As the vision for downtown’s ASTRA Innovation District has evolved, GO Topeka and JEDO have consistently supported solutions designed to move innovation in the community forward,” said Kevin Cook, JEDO chair. “Innovation Center 2.0 will be a catalyst for district growth.”