FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9, 2023
For more information, please contact:
John Fernandez, Senior Vice President, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships, john@dimensionmill.org or 202-420-8594
Pat East, Executive Director, pat@dimensionmill.org or 317-965-2155
Leaders Tapped to Guide Innovation District
New advisory board to shape Trades District into vibrant regional hub
Bloomington, Ind.—The Mill today announced the formation of a new advisory board to provide guidance and counsel to The Mill’s Trades District development team. The board will advise on developing the real estate and related ecosystem infrastructure to establish the Trades District as a strategic hub for the Bloomington region’s innovation-fueled economic development initiatives.
“We’re very excited to bring together this panel of leaders to help realize the long-standing vision of the Trades District,” said John Fernandez, Senior Vice President, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships at The Mill. “Collaboration across sectors is essential to building a vibrant innovation hub. We’re not just selling real estate. We’re building a dynamic entrepreneurial neighborhood that channels Bloomington’s unique spirit and attracts the young professional talent and innovation-driven companies that can drive our economy forward.”
The new board includes experts from real estate, business, academia, and government, with the majority representing private sector organizations. The board may eventually grow to 15 members, Fernandez said, but is launching with these initial members:
Sue Aguila, Founder/Owner, Bloomington Bagel Co.
Isak Asare, Consultant, Aleria Research Corp; Co-Director Cybersecurity & Global Policy Program, Hamilton Lugar School of Global & International Studies
Jay Baer, Owner, Convince & Convert; Founder, Tequila Jay Baer
Erik Coyne, Chancellor, Ivy Tech Bloomington
Hamid Farzad, Vice President, Global Business Development, BioProduct
Commercial, Catalent
Anne Fields Lucas, NavalX Midwest Tech Bridge Director
Jon-Paul Herron, Director of Network Services, Energy Sciences Network (ESnet)
Michael Huber, Vice President University Relations, Indiana University
Bryant Niehoff, CEO, Uplands Science & Technology Foundation
Development of the 12-acre Trades District has accelerated since Bloomington’s Redevelopment Commission (RDC) signed an innovation partnership agreement in January 2023, authorizing The Mill to manage its development and marketing. The planned development of the much-anticipated tech center is on track for a fall ground breaking. The tech center, a new 22,000 square foot LEED certified office building, has received $5 million in funding from the City of Bloomington and $3.5 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
The Mill also recently received a proposal for a $35 million boutique hotel in response to the initial Notice of Offering for the development of the district’s four parcels. Fernandez hopes to present that project to the RDC in the coming weeks,
“As a cultural magnet located right at the heart of the sci-tech corridor that runs from Crane to Indianapolis, Bloomington is perfectly positioned to become a regional innovation hub,” Fernandez said. “If you’re a startup or a growth-stage company, you’ve got access to the talent and applied R&D coming out of IU, the incredible IP at Crane, a community of fellow founders, and the startup programming at The Mill—all in a city rich in arts, entertainment, sports, great food, fantastic outdoor recreation. I think we’ll find that even some mature companies will want to tap into that pipeline of talent and opportunity.”
Private development projects in the district are also moving forward. A collective of local businesses are redeveloping the former Kiln Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, into tech and startup office space. Renovation is underway on the former Showers Administration building as well.
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About The Mill
The Mill is the heart of southern Indiana’s startup ecosystem and its largest coworking space. A 501(c)3 nonprofit, its mission is to spark Bloomington’s innovation economy by launching and accelerating startups, and its vision is to become Indiana’s center of gravity for entrepreneurship. For more information, visit https://www.dimensionmill.or
About the Trades District
The Trades District, a 12-acre portion of the Bloomington Certified Technology Park, is envisioned as a place of innovation, attraction, and job creation for the City of Bloomington. The Bloomington Certified Technology Park encompasses 65 acres of downtown and is adjacent to many cultural attractions, downtown restaurants, core neighborhoods and downtown housing. The B-Line Trail, the City's multi-use urban trail, runs through the area further linking the Certified Technology Park to other areas of Bloomington's historic, vibrant downtown and to parts beyond.