Dothan breaks ground on new $30M innovation center

Construction of a new facility to help business grow in the Wiregrass is officially underway.

A ground breaking event was held Monday morning on the Wiregrass Innovation Center in Dothan. The $30 million project is part of the City Center downtown revitalization project and it is expected to be complete in late 2025.

Keep reading to find out more about the facility + how the center can help businesses in the area.

Wiregrass Innovation Center

The facility will be a 45,000 sq. ft. building will be located on the George Washington Carver Research Campus in downtown Dothan. The funding will come from the state of Alabama ($20 million) and the Wiregrass Foundation ($10 million).

The city believes this facility will help build on the agricultural strength of the region and embrace new technologies and innovations as keys for future growth in the Wiregrass.

“We’re building a home for visionaries who will shape the future of the Wiregrass and the world. This is an incredible opportunity for Dothan and the Wiregrass as a whole. I, along with the City Commissioners, am excited to be working with local, regional, and statewide leaders to expand the area’s potential to provide high-skilled, high-wage jobs, right here in Dothan.”

~ Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba

HudsonAlpha Wiregrass will be the anchor tenant and use the building to provide hands-on training and practical learning in science, genomics, research, technology and other innovation.

Who will be at the Innovation Center?

“The Wiregrass Innovation Center can support entrepreneurship efforts in the AgTech, ag-related, and technology fields, as well as serve as a community space for innovators.  It also offers support to founders, entrepreneurs, and companies of all sizes and levels of experience, whether seasoned professionals or first-time ventures.”

~ Wiregrass Innovation Center

In addition to HudsonAlpha, other entrepreneurs and startup companies are anticipating the opening of the Wiregrass Innovation Center. Among the agtech startups planning to locate in the Wiregrass Innovation Center are:

• Veil Genomics is leveraging long-read DNA sequencing to develop better genetic testing for human health and disease, plant and animal breeding, and biodiversity
• SetaTech, is a producer of natural biostimulant for sustainable agriculture and a graduate of the HudsonAlpha AgTech Accelerator with operations in Ozark

RDG Planning and Design and Fuqua and Partners are serving as the architects of record on the project. A general contractor has not been selected.

What do you think about the plans for the Wiregrass Innovation Center? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.