Mixed-use development emphasizes research, technology and global commerce - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The first two totaling 288,000 square feet of research, development and commercial spacs and valued atabouyt $300 million, have been completed in the past few The project is distinguished by a soaring 125-foo shade structure that anchors the plazqa between the two At build-out, SkySong ­­— formally callec the ASU Scottsdale Innovationh Center — will includer 1.2 million square feet of commercial space and an assortment of urban residences. But the foremost goal from the staryt was to create an office development with aninternational high-techb cachet. Even when times were robust withinb thedevelopment community, the plan to buildr SkySong was no easy task.
Ultimately, it took a collection of localp andnational firms, along with the Arizonas State University Foundation and the city of Scottsdale, to pull off the developmentr duties. But once it was off the ground, woulfd tenants come? They did. Office leasing activitg appears stronger at SkySong than at projects in other parts ofthe Valley, with more than a dozehn companies from outside the U.S. occupyin g space. Local firms also have signed on to participatse in what they believe will be an internationallyinfused environment.
Craig Coppola, principalk of , which recently assumed the listinyg assignmentfor SkySong, credits ASU for getting the ball “The connection with ASU has driven a majority of tenantsa to date,” he said. “The school has a grea t global reach, and they’re a huge innovator and technologyu engine inNorth America.” Nate Summer, director of strategicx partnerships at ASU, said that was the plan all along: Leverag ASU’s global connections to attract international then use that to appeal to local, more conventional firms. Attracting globa business, however, isn’t that easy.
Companiee in other countries usually have a solid idea about the kindxs of cities that hold appeal for them inthe U.S. that’s driven by culturap connections andmedia profile. For Los Angeles, New York and San Franciscop all have vibrant ethnic neighborhoods of historical They also attractinternational “When you look at that matrix, Arizons doesn’t come to mind,” Summer said. So Summerr and his team developed a strategyg they hoped would put SkySong onforeign companies’ radar “We told them we’d invesft resources to help them navigatre the challenges of operatiny in the U.S.
,” he “It’s a daunting challenge for many of them to do businesss in the U.S. There are many barriers to Some of the greatest barriers involve languager andsocial customs. By workin g to overcome those difficulties, SkySong has been able to attract an interesting collection ofglobal firms. One of those is , a Singapore-based company that focuses on educational testpreparation Co-owner Viswanath Parameswaren credits ASU for developing a creativs environment that will enhance his company’s experience and reachn in the U.S. “Over the last (SkySong) has become an excellenf test bed for our ideas and he said.
“The ability to mix and share ideas with global students and faculty has added toour