Chamber News

K-State Olathe Innovation Campus groundbreaking for first building

Kansas State University will have a groundbreaking for the first building on the K-State Olathe Innovation Campus at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Kansas Bioscience Research Park located east of Highway 7 at the intersection of College Boulevard and Valley Road, in Olathe.

This first building will be the National Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety. The $28 million facility will house educational and lab spaces to support research, education and technology commercialization in animal health and food safety. The approximately 108,000-square-foot building is being designed and built by 360 Architecture and the Weitz Company, and should be complete by early 2011.

Speakers at the ceremony will include Kirk Schulz, K-State President; Michael Copeland, Olathe Mayor; Ed Eilert, Chair of the Johnson County Education and Research Triangle Authority; and Jill Docking, Chair of the Kansas Board of Regents.

The building is part of the Johnson County Education and Research Triangle initiative and is financed by a portion of the one-eighth cent sales tax approved by Johnson County voters in November 2008.

Parking for the groundbreaking is across the street from campus and will be marked on Valley Road. Contact Terri Bogina at tbogina@kstateoic.ksu.edu or 913-541-1220 for additional information.