Gwinnett research development Rowen draws interest from four companies

Originally published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Rowen leaders are close to starting construction on their first building, a half decade after local officials approved plans for the 2,000-acre development planned between Athens and Atlanta.

The project team is wrapping up the design for a convergence center, which is expected to break ground in 2026, said Mason Ailstock, president and CEO of the Rowen Foundation. The building will house the nonprofit’s operations, serving as a “front door” for higher education, industry and community partners, he said.

Inspired by North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, Rowen is intended to become a major employment and research hub centered around the environment, agriculture and medicine. The expansive site straddles Georgia 316 in eastern Gwinnett County, less than a one-hour drive from University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Emory University.

The convergence center will be one of the first pieces of “Rowen Village,” a mixed-use area planned across 150 acres in the center of the overall development. Private developers will fill in the site with buildings rising four to seven stories, providing a place for people to live, work, shop and spend time with one another.

Earlier this year, Rowen completed a $32 million infrastructure project with 2 miles of new roads, green space and multiuse trails meandering through the forested property. Those investments are intended to support future development, with room for 22 million square feet of research, commercial and residential space.

“Up until that point, there weren’t roads, there was no sewer, and there was no water,” said Ailstock, who formerly served as chief operating officer of Research Triangle Park. “… That challenge is now behind us, and we’re off to the races.”

The visible progress appears to be helping out on the recruitment front. Within the last quarter, four companies have expressed interest in establishing a presence at the so-called “knowledge community,” Ailstock said.

In total, more than a dozen companies have considered Rowen as a potential place for their facilities. Most of the prospective users are involved in the life sciences, biotechnology, agricultural technology and advanced materials industries, Ailstock said.

Ailstock believes Rowen offers an ideal location for companies on the hunt for a place to call home. The project is “positioned to succeed” due to its proximity to a dense talent pool, buy-in from major institutions, steady funding from the local government and ongoing support from the foundation, he said.

Rowen is also abundant with available land that can be cheaper to develop than other sites in existing job hubs, Ailstock said.

“We’re encouraged by the response we’ve received from companies and the great support from the state and our other partners,” Ailstock said. “We continue to make progress down that short list line for several companies today, as we compete nationally to win these huge, multimillion-dollar projects.”