A new $30 million research and incubation facility is in the works for UCF, planned for the parking lot between the Engineering II building and Garage-C.
Phase 1 of the Interdisciplinary Research and Incubator building covers 67,000 square-feet over three floors and will be comprised of 31 research and incubator laboratories – most of them to be “wet labs” – including space for business incubation, lecture halls, conference rooms and offices.
Researchers from various UCF colleges and centers will make use of the labs under chemistry, nanoscience, optics, physics, photonics and other disciplines.
“We currently rent some space off-campus in Central Florida Research Park,” said UCF senior communications coordinator Mark Schlueb. “By bringing [the disciplines] together, we expect the facility will spark collaboration.”
Phase 2 plans to be 39,000 square-feet at an estimated $16.6 million. There is no timeline for construction of a phase 2 plan nor have funds been allocated, according to UCF officials.
Approximately $6 million comes from the state to fund the project and the remaining budget will be filled by UCF through the university’s capital improvement budget.
The project goes out to bid in November and will see construction begin in January and continue for approximately 16 months. Completion of the Interdisciplinary Research and Incubator facility slated for mid-2017.
