The KSU Foundation will join Kansas State University representatives and partners for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 20, to mark the completion of the Edge District’s newest office building.
The new building at 1960 Kimball Ave. in Manhattan, Kansas, will offer 80,000 square feet of office space for university partners near campus and the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. Partner tenants will leverage the strengths of K-State while contributing industry expertise to academic and research efforts and streamlining student talent recruitment. With flexible office space for 250 employees, the building will increase the Edge District’s total office and laboratory space to 300,000 square feet.
“This ribbon cutting celebrates the growth of our Edge District, which will advance us as the next-generation land-grant university while energizing regional economic growth,” said Marshall Stewart, K-State senior vice president and chief of staff. “The Edge offers the necessary infrastructure to foster partnerships between private and public sectors, supporting K-State’s objective of enhancing the K-State community and beyond.”
The Edge is a growing economic development district along K-State’s North Campus Corridor. Its master plan includes 500 acres with $2 billion in completed and planned infrastructure. Among its largest partners are Burns & McDonnell, the Kansas Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, McCownGordon Construction, Stormont Vail Health, and Sink Gordon Accountants & Advisors LLP. The Edge District also features Rockin K’s restaurant and a Brothers Coffee Co. location. New jobs created by the district number approximately 1,400 to date, with a total of 5,000 predicted by 2035.
“We have a lot to celebrate with the completion of this facility,” said Greg Lohrentz, senior vice president of operations and finance at the KSU Foundation. “We’re proud to have finished under budget and months ahead of schedule, which is helpful as demand for space in this location continues to grow in response to increasing opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration between academia and industry.”
Construction of the 1960 Kimball Ave. building began in April 2023. It is 50% preleased and will soon house K-State’s Office of Corporate Engagement. More information about the Edge District is available at ksiteonline.com.
As Kansas State University’s strategic partner for philanthropy, the KSU Foundation inspires and guides philanthropy toward university priorities to boldly advance K-State.
