A rendering displayed at the May 7 groundbreaking at Innovation 27, a new workforce training and education collaborative, shows how a long-defunct Kmart will be reimagined into a workforce readiness development (photo courtesy of city of Phoenix).
At a May 7 event, city of Phoenix leaders, community members and partners celebrated the ceremonial groundbreaking of Innovation 27, a new workforce training and education collaborative.
The event marked the official launch of the initiative, which city leadership says will serve as “a cornerstone for sustainable development and workforce readiness in one of the city’s most vital growth corridors.”
Once renovated, a currently vacant building at the northwest corner of Interstate 17 and Northern Ave., formerly a Kmart, will be home to the Innovation 27 facility. The 15-acre site will feature a mix of high-tech industrial space, job training facilities and amenities designed with community benefit in mind. Innovation 27 will serve as a launching pad for next-generation industry, offering cutting-edge space for businesses, education and training programs and green infrastructure designed with community benefit in mind. The project will prioritize spaces with sustainability features and educational value, reinforcing Phoenix’s commitment to resilience and equitable development.
Joining the Phoenix mayor and city council members were representatives from Gensler, the architecture firm designing the renovation, CHASSE Building Team, which will manage construction of the facility, along with workforce and academic partners from ARIZONA@WORK City of Phoenix, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, Maricopa County Community Colleges and Washington Elementary School District.
Learn more at www.investinphoenix.com/news/46.
