Construction schedule moved up for Southeast business lab

Southeast Missouri State University is looking at an early 2015 soft launch for its Creative Labs and Industries Incubator on Broadway.

The board of regents recently approved the design concept and budget for the incubator and authorized the administration to proceed with construction documents.

The facility is in a two-story, 13,320-square-foot building at 612-616 Broadway. Its upgrades and repairs are expected to be completed sometime by the end of this year, or the "very beginning" of 2015, said James Stapleton, executive director of the Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Southeast and associate professor of management in the Harrison College of Business.

The incubator will give students a chance to interact with others on design, merchandising, media development, marketing, accounting, financial management and other concepts.

"The idea is to keep it a very flexible space," said vice president for finance and administration Kathy Mangels, adding the incubator will have module studios and an open design. The open floor plan will accommodate curriculum changes and allow students to mingle with faculty members, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.

Stapleton said the extended time frame for the incubator's launch allows for more student engagement.

Plans are to have students working in the space before it's open so they can develop products that can be resold, Stapleton said.

The format and approach for the incubator is unique, he added.

"I'm unaware of another student-focused incubator that has the combination of creative and commercial activities that will take place in this incubator," he said. Because most students don't have the time, resources or experience to start a business while in school, this will provide a "unique simulation of that activity that really gets them involved in the true collaboration that takes place with real startup business activity."

The retail part of the incubator will operate from the first floor, along with a beverage center and printing press area that exposes students to varying print formats -- from letterpress to digital.

Classroom/meeting spaces will be used on the first and second floors for student and faculty gatherings and community activities. The second floor will provide open areas for group collaboration and shared design and production studios.

The total cost of the project, including the building's purchase and grant administration services, is estimated at $1.73 million.

Building needs include reconfiguring the stairway between the first and second floors to meet code, installing a lift, upgrading to the climate-control system and addressing some drainage issues, officials said.

Although the structure needs work, Stapleton said it was one of the few two-story buildings available on Broadway, which could develop into a creative corridor.

The tentative schedule is to issue bids in September and have someone under contract for construction by October, Mangels said.

Southeast received private donations and grants for the project, totaling $1.25 million. Additionally, $50,000 in revenue from the university's existing printing contract will be committed to the project, a news release said.

Because the incubator is multidisciplinary, $100,000 from the annual funding set aside for academic remodeling projects is earmarked, along with $125,000 in one-time dollars from Academic Affairs annual operating budget carry-overs. The university also will contribute $205,000 of one-time funds set aside for campus master plan projects, the release said.

The idea for the Creative Labs and Industries Incubator began in 1996 when regents approved establishing the Center for Entrepreneurship and a minor in entrepreneurship for undergraduate business majors.

Since then, the board has approved the naming of the Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, establishing five specialized minors in entrepreneurship.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address: 612/616 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO