Cortex Innovation Community

Last updated
Cortex Innovation Community
Founded2002 (2002)
Founder Washington University
BJC HealthCare
UMSL
Saint Louis University
Missouri Botanical Garden
TypeTax-exempt 501(c)3 Non-profit
Focus Land use, land development, redevelopment, placemaking, marketing, startups, financing and fundraising.
Location
Coordinates 38°38′05″N90°15′04″W / 38.63465415°N 90.25115899250936°W / 38.63465415; -90.25115899250936
Area served
St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Members
22 directors [1]
Key people
June McAllister Fowler, Board Chair, Sam Fiorello, President and CEO, William Henry Danforth, John Dubinsky [2] [3] [4]
Employees
18
Website cortexstl.org
Formerly called
Cortex West Redevelopment Corporation

Cortex Innovation Community, Cortex Innovation District, or Cortex is an innovation district in the Midtown neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. [5] A 200-acre hub for technology and biological science research, development, and commercialization, [6] Cortex is a main location for the city's technology startup companies. [7] [8] It is near Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis University, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Contents

Cortex officials say their master plan calls for $2.3 billion of construction, producing more than 4.5 million square feet of mixed-use development to house 13,000 jobs in technology. [7] [9] [1]

Cortex 3.0, a $170 million expansion was completed in fall 2018. [10] [11]

History

In 1998, William Henry Danforth, former chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, sought to help the region better build upon its strengths in medicine and plant sciences. He formed the Coalition for Plant and Life Sciences, now known as BioSTL, [6] which led to the creation of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

Danforth and John Dubinsky, CEO of financial consulting firm Westmoreland Associates and the eventual chairman of the Cortex board, went to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to study Kendall Square, a noted innovation district, to see how the concept could be used in St. Louis. [2]

The idea was to create a district where companies could have access to talent, new technology, labs, and intellectual property.

The Midtown neighborhood was selected because the founding institutions are nearby and millennials wanted to live and work in the nearby urban areas. [2] [12] [1]

In 2002, Cortex was founded as a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt organization [13] [1] by Washington University in St. Louis, BJC HealthCare (BJC), University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL), Saint Louis University, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. [2] These founders contributed a total of $29 million to buy land and serve as collateral for loans: Washington University, $15 million; BJC and SLU, $5 million apiece; and UMSL, $4 million. [2]

The Cortex West Redevelopment Corporation was classified by the city under Missouri statute Chapter 353 as a master developer of the district. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay allowed Cortex to redevelop the area broadly in the "public interest" by issuing tax abatements and using eminent domain. [2] [1]

Cortex hired CEO Dennis Lower, who executed a plan called Cortex 2.0 and converted the district from strictly bioscience to an open mixed-used district and added support for startup technology companies. [14]

In summer 2014, Square, the payments company set up by St. Louis natives Jim McKelvey and Jack Dorsey, opened offices at Cortex 4240. [14]

In 2015, Ikea opened in Cortex. [14]

In 2018, Microsoft opened its first Midwest headquarters in Cortex building 4220. [12]

In fall 2018, once Venture Cafe Innovation Hall opens at the 4220 Building in Cortex, 23 City Blocks Hospitality Group's restaurant and cafe, The Chocolate Pig will open. [15]

In June 2018, AON announced it would move 200 employees to the 4220 building. [16]

In March 2020, Washington University School of Medicine announced the construction of a new $616 million, 11 story, 609,000-square-foot neuroscience research building which will sit at the eastern edge of the Medical Campus in the Cortex Innovation Community. Construction of the building is set to be finished in 2023. [17]

One of the primary companies building Cortex is Wexford, which had as of 2018 developed three properties and a total of 536,903 square feet. [18]

Facts

Innovation centers

CET St. Louis

The Center for Emerging Technologies (CET) is developing and establishing next-generation biomedical science and other advanced technology companies. [7] [28]

BioGenerator

BioGenerator discovers technologies and services with potential with an academic, research, or entrepreneur to make a company. [7] [29]

In 2018, BioGenerator officials announced they will anchor the new Cortex biotech building. [30]

CIC St. Louis

Cambridge Innovation Center provides services for startups and companies including innovation spaces and coworking. CIC supports innovation in public relations, law, education, technology and life sciences. [7] [31]

Venture Cafe St. Louis

Venture Café St. Louis is a nonprofit hosting community-focused events and programs that support early-stage entrepreneurs. [7]

COLLAB

In May 2019, Washington University in St. Louis and Saint Louis University launched the COLLAB at Cortex. The universities intend to use the 7,700-square-foot suite for various joint and separate projects, including training students in cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, and other high-demand fields. COLLAB is also intended to forge deals with industry to turn research discoveries into products; find or train technology workers; and pursue geospatial research, data science, and health informatics. [32]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington University in St. Louis</span> Private university in Missouri, US

Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington, a Continental Army general, and the first president of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MetroLink (St. Louis)</span> Light rail system serving St. Louis, Missouri, and surrounding areas

MetroLink is a light rail system that serves the Greater St. Louis area. Operated by Metro Transit in a shared fare system with MetroBus, the two-line, 38-station system runs from St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Shrewsbury in Missouri to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Intermediate destinations include downtown Clayton, Forest Park, and downtown St. Louis. It is the only U.S. light rail system to cross state lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Louis Science Center</span> Planetarium

The Saint Louis Science Center, founded as a planetarium in 1963, is a collection of buildings including a science museum and planetarium in St. Louis, Missouri, on the southeastern corner of Forest Park. With over 750 exhibits in a complex of over 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2), it is among the largest of its type in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington University School of Medicine</span> Medical school in St. Louis, Missouri, US

Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) is the medical school of Washington University in St. Louis, a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1891, the School of Medicine shares a campus with Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, and Central Institute for the Deaf. It has consistently ranked among the top medical schools in the United States in terms of the number/amount of research grants/funding awarded by the National Institutes of Health, among other measures.

The Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) is a public community college of technology in Kirkland, Washington. LWTech is a member of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and offers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and professional certificates in more than 40 areas of study.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Danforth Plant Science Center</span> Botanical research institution in Missouri, US

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is an independent, not-for-profit research institute dedicated to plant science located in the Creve Coeur community of Saint Louis County, Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1998 by William Henry Danforth, chancellor emeritus of Washington University in St. Louis and named after his father, and established through a $60 million gift from the Danforth Foundation, a $50 million gift from the Monsanto Fund, the donation of 40 acres of land from Monsanto, and $25 million in tax credits from the State of Missouri.

William Henry Danforth II was an American physician, professor of medicine, academic administrator, and philanthropist. He was chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis from 1971 until 1995. Danforth was the grandson of Ralston-Purina founder and St. Louis businessman William H. Danforth, and the brother of former U.S. Senator John Danforth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Washington University in St. Louis</span>

Washington University's origins were in seventeen St. Louis business, political, and religious leaders concerned by the lack of institutions of higher learning in the Midwest. The effort to found the university was spearheaded by Missouri State Senator Wayman Crow, and Unitarian minister William Greenleaf Eliot, grandfather of the Nobel Prize laureate poet T. S. Eliot. Its first chancellor was Joseph Gibson Hoyt. Crow secured the university charter from the Missouri State Legislature in 1853 and handled further political maneuvering. While Eliot was in charge of raising funds for the university, he accepted the position as President of the Board of Trustees. Early on Eliot was able to solicit some support from the local business community, including John O'Fallon, one of the wealthiest people in St. Louis, even briefly considering naming the university the O'Fallon Institute. However, Eliot failed in securing a permanent endowment. In fact Wash U is unique among other American universities, in not having any prior financial endowment to begin with; the school had no religious backing, wealthy patron, or government support. Therefore, financial problems plagued the university for several decades after its founding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danforth Campus</span> Building in St. Louis, Missouri

The Danforth Campus is the main campus at Washington University in St. Louis. Formerly known as the Hilltop Campus, it was officially dedicated as the Danforth Campus on September 17, 2006, in honor of William H. Danforth, the 13th chancellor of the university, the Danforth family and the Danforth Foundation. Distinguished by its collegiate gothic architecture, the 169-acre (0.68 km2) campus lies at the western boundary of Forest Park, partially in the City of St. Louis. Most of the campus is in a small enclave of unincorporated St. Louis County, while all the campus area south of Forsyth Boulevard is in suburban Clayton. Immediately to the north across Forest Park Parkway is University City.

The James McKelvey School of Engineering is a part of Washington University in St. Louis. Founded in 1854, the engineering school is a research institution occupying seven buildings on Washington University's Danforth Campus. Research emphasis is placed on cross-disciplinary technologies in the areas of alternative energy, environmental engineering & sustainable technology, biotechnology, information technology, and nanotechnology/materials science.

Ignition Park is a technology park under development in South Bend, Indiana, United States on roughly 140 acres (57 ha) of land south of the city's downtown that were formerly the site of the Studebaker manufacturing complex. Though originally the park was only around 80 acres (32 ha), after much talk of doing so by city officials, it was expanded to 140 acres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Gymnasium</span> Building at Washington University in St. Louis

Francis Gymnasium is a building at Washington University in St. Louis, currently used by the university's athletics department. Built in 1903, it is located in St. Louis County, Missouri, on the far western edge of the university's Danforth Campus. It is part of the Washington University Hilltop Campus Historic District.

Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) is an American real estate services company which bills itself as a "community of entrepreneurs". The company was founded in 1999 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduates Timothy Rowe and Andrew Olmsted. Its campuses are a mix of startups, “corporate innovation spin-outs,” and VC funds. CIC houses innovation globalization programs for more than a dozen governments, including Canada, China, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.

Innovation districts are urban geographies of innovation where R&D strong institutions, companies, and other private actors develop integrated strategies and solutions to develop thriving innovation ecosystems–areas that attract entrepreneurs, startups, and business incubators. Unlike science parks, innovation districts are physically compact, leverage density and high levels of accessibility, and provide a “mash up” of activities including housing, office, and neighborhood-serving amenities. Districts signify the collapse back of innovation into cities and is increasingly used as a way to revitalize the economies of cities and their broader regions. As of 2019, there are more than 100 districts worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Research Park at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign</span>

Research Park at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a research park located in the southwest part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus in Champaign, Illinois. Research Park is a technology hub for startup companies and corporate research and development operations. Within Research Park there are more than 120 companies employing more than 2,100 people including students and full-time technology professionals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cortex station</span> Light rail station in Missouri, US

Cortex station is a St. Louis MetroLink station. It opened on July 31, 2018, as an infill station just east of Boyle Ave in the Cortex Innovation Community in St. Louis' Central West End neighborhood. It was built as a public-private partnership between the Bi-State Development Agency (Metro), Washington University in St. Louis, BJC HealthCare, and the City of St. Louis.

Venture Café is a nonprofit organization that hosts community events and programs that support early-stage entrepreneurs.

Timothy Rowe is a technology entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Cambridge Innovation Center as well as the founder of Venture Café. He also serves as a partner of New Atlantic Ventures, Chair of LabCentral, and Chair of MassRobotics.

NextFab Studio, LLC is a network of membership-based makerspaces with locations in Philadelphia and Wilmington. Founded in 2009 by Evan Malone, the for-profit company opened its first location in West Philadelphia’s University City Science Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience</span> Magnet high school in St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience is a magnet high school in St. Louis, Missouri. It was established in 2013 and is part of the St. Louis Public Schools district.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Wagner, Julie (5 May 2016). "In St. Louis, a gateway to innovation and inclusion". Brookings. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mack, Mary (27 February 2017). "Conceiving Cortex: Cortex Special Feature, Chapter 1, 2000-2002". EQSTL. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  3. Edwards, Greg (30 November 2012). "John Dubinsky". St. Louis Business Journal . Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  4. "Stifel Official Bio" . Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  5. "Cortex Official Website". Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Cortex - Oral History". 28 August 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cortex Official The District" . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  8. Arruda, William (5 December 2017). "What To Look For In A City When You're Relocating For Work". Forbes. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Aloft Hotel Breaks Ground in Cortex" . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  10. Mack, Mary (27 February 2017). "Cortex's Evolution From A Life Science District To A Magnet For St. Louis Innovators: A Feature Series". EQSTL. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  11. Mack, Mary (2 March 2017). "Cortex Looks Ahead: Cortex Special Feature, Chapter 4, 2017 And Beyond". EQSTL. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  12. 1 2 Sisson, Patrick (7 Aug 2018). "Universities, chasing the startup economy, reshape urban real estate" . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  13. "Cortex Official Who We Are" . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 Mack, Mary (1 March 2017). "Cortex Shifts Focus: Cortex Special Feature, Chapter 3, 2010-2016". EQSTL. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  15. Stiles, Nancy (11 April 2018). "The Chocolate Pig to Open at Cortex Innovation Hall This Fall". Feast Magazine. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  16. Feldt, Brian (8 June 2018). "Aon relocating 200 employees from Clayton to St. Louis' Cortex district". St. Louis Post Dispatch . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  17. "Washington University to break ground on major neuroscience research hub". Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. 2020-03-06. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  18. "Wexford + Cortex". 2015-12-29. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  19. Diane Toroian Keaggy (24 July 2018). "Cortex MetroLink Station to open July 31". Washington University The Source. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  20. "Metro Announces Opening Date for Cortex Metrolink Station" . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  21. Kae M. Petrin (31 July 2018). "Cortex MetroLink stop opens with promises of tech job growth" . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  22. Feldt, Brian (13 April 2018). "Developer plans more buildings in St. Louis' booming Cortex innovation district" . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  23. "Tarlton Overseeing Construction of St. Louis Innovation Hall". rejournal. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  24. Jacob Barker; Tim Bryant (20 October 2016). "New $170 million Cortex development to add hotel, apartments, parking garage" . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  25. "Work starts on parking garage at Cortex". 13 August 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  26. "Esri Expands St. Louis Office to New Space in Tech District". 30 May 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  27. "Next NGA West". Next NGA West Official Site. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  28. "Center for Emerging Technology" . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  29. "Biogenerator" . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  30. Barker, Jacob (18 April 2018). "BioGenerator plans to anchor Cortex biotech building". St. Louis Post Dispatch . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  31. "CIC Official" . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  32. "SLU, WashU open innovation center in Cortex". ksdk.com. May 23, 2019. Retrieved 2022-08-23.