City breaks ground on multi-million dollar Wiregrass Innovation Center
DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — City leaders began setting the cornerstone for the future as they officially broke ground on the $30 million Wiregrass Innovation Center.
“The Wiregrass Innovation Center will be a destination for innovators, and experiential learning, and the nerve center for economic development,” Gov. Ivey said.
“It just shows that we are doing great things here and we want to contribute to the state,” Mayor Mark Saliba said.
The 45,000 square foot center will be located next to the Wiregrass Museum of Art — the immediate area will be known as the George Washington Carver Research Campus.
“George Washington Carver transformed the way Alabama and the country does farming we all know how important it is to our state and the ag-tech is cutting edge for our farmers,” Gov. Ivey said.
HudsonAlpha Wiregrass, a partnership between the Institute for Biotechnology and Dothan, will be the primary tenant in the building. They are using the city to provide hands-on training and learning in science, genomics, research technology, and innovation.
“How do we use the power of DNA to create better crops that thrive in the Wiregrass, economic development how do we take people who have an idea and have a spark to start a new company how do we support them and help them bring jobs to the area, and education we are shaping tomorrow’s future,” Dr. Neil Lamb said.
“We are building a foundation for the future it’s one of our historic days today,” Mayor Saliba said.
Although the ground has been broken, a contractor has not been hired yet. However, construction is expected to last until late 2025.
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