Rowen's Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks
Beginning of Construction on Roads, Trails, Utilities Near
University Parkway
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Dec. 9, 2022
/PRNewswire/ -- Georgia's
reputation as the nation's top state in which to do business is
well established. But today, the state added another jewel in its
crown as construction began on Rowen, a 2,000-acre, non-profit led
knowledge community located in Gwinnett
County, equidistant from Atlanta and Athens.
The Rowen Foundation hosted a formal groundbreaking and
tree planting ceremony with more than 150 dignitaries on hand,
including Governor Brian Kemp,
Gwinnett Chairwoman Nicole
Hendrickson and Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux. During the ceremony, the
Governor, Chairwoman, Congresswoman and others planted the first
tree on site to signify the beginning of a growing, thriving
community.
"Rowen offers Georgia something
it has never had before: a foundation-led site that will house all
kinds of businesses driven by innovation," said Governor
Brian Kemp. "This project both
connects our universities physically and also connects their
programs, their research, and most importantly, their students.
Because of the foresight of local and state leaders and the team at
Rowen, Georgia and the world
beyond will benefit from the ideas of the future in agriculture,
environment, and medicine that will originate here."
A mixed-use community with the goal of bringing together
entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators in the fields of
agriculture, medicine and the environment and many supportive
technologies, Rowen is poised to be a global leader in knowledge,
innovation and collaboration while leveraging Gwinnett and Metro Atlanta's diverse workforce
and unique location.
"We are blessed in Gwinnett
County to have a wealth of economic opportunities that
support innovation and job growth, but one of our greatest is
Rowen, the first of its kind in Georgia," said Gwinnett County Commission Chair Nicole Hendrickson. "This groundbreaking is the
culmination of key partners coming together over the past two years
to lay the foundation for this vision initially set by my
predecessors. This vision and foresight is the epitome of the
Gwinnett Standard and I could not be more excited to see Rowen
finally getting underway."
The site will eventually include more than 22 million square
feet of lab, office and civic spaces alongside a mix of
multi-family residential, cafes, start-up hubs, parks and public
trails. Initial work will include horizontal infrastructure such as
SITES-certified complete streets, trails, sidewalks and a variety
of utilities. The new roads will create access to the Rowen Village
area as well as medium- and low-density areas of the site for
development.
"Breaking ground and planting our first tree allows us to begin
the process of accelerating inspiring economic, educational and
community growth in Georgia and
beyond," said Rowen Foundation CEO and President Mason Ailstock. "The name Rowen alludes to a
'second harvest' and that is precisely what we plan to cultivate at
this unique location. Rowen will be a trailblazer, connecting the
land's past to future opportunities for collaboration and
innovation."
At complete build out, Rowen is projected to bring nearly
100,000 jobs to Georgia,
contributing $8-10 billion into the
state's economy annually. The site will build on the land's rich
history of environmental stewardship, while changing the economic
and social trajectory of Gwinnett
County and the state of Georgia for generations to come.
Further enhancing the core of Rowen's mission is its board of
directors, which governs the Rowen Foundation, made up of leaders
from the University of Georgia,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Emory University, Georgia Gwinnett College and others that embrace
the property's unique proposition for employers. Leading that board
is Chair Sachin Shailendra, a long
time for-profit and non-profit board leader and entrepreneur.
To learn more about Rowen, see updated renderings of the site
and stay up-to-date on the construction progress, please visit
rowenlife.com.
About Rowen
2,000 carefully preserved acres along Highway 316 in
Gwinnett County, Ga., Rowen is a
visionary knowledge community that will bring together
entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators at the intersection of
the Atlanta, Athens and Gainesville metropolitan statistical areas and
more than 50 research and educational institutions. A new multi-use
concept designed to foster discoveries in agricultural, medical and
environmental sciences, Rowen will build on the land's rich history
of thoughtful environmental stewardship, while changing the
economic and social trajectory of Gwinnett, Georgia and our nation for
generations. For more information, please visit
www.rowenlife.com.
About Rowen Foundation
Rowen Foundation is the independent, mission-driven,
not-for-profit entity leading the planning and visioning of Rowen,
a new innovation district in Gwinnett
County, Ga. With its mission to be a catalyst for education,
research, innovation and transformation, the foundation is
responsible for project leadership and operations to ensure the
long-term vision for Rowen is never compromised.
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SOURCE Rowen Foundation