If the ambitious project, which will make Langezijds into a multifunctional company center, can move to the next phase relies upon the decision making of all parties- the UT, the province of Overijssel and the city of Enschede-that comprise the Stuurgroep Kennispark (Steering Committee Knowledge Park). All parties have agreed to the decision, which means that the provisional design can be further developed. The permit process will be discussed with the city council and firmly established while the master plan for the Knowledge Park Twente will be still further developed. Talks with potential tenants are being followed up. A concrete version of the preferred layout for the completed building is being made.
Director Eric Gude of the Property Conversion Group, the company that will take on the Etalage project, presented the further developed plans last week. During the business fair of the Innovation Festival Powered by Twente, he used 3D animations, photos and building plans to explain what the future building would look like. He expects the first phase of the new building will be completed at the beginning of 2010.
Kees van Ast was`very pleased' with the progress and acknowledged that all involved parties have given their confidence in the current set up of the project. This means they can talk about the transfer of the site and building to a new development LLC. According to Gude, a number of large investors, next to Volker Wessels and PPM Oost, have expressed their interest in participating in the project. The UT will not put its own money in the project, but it will cooperate with its own shares in the project after the sale of the building.
Van Ast says, `This project is of the utmost importance for the region. Knowledge and experience are really close together. All of this and the scientific quality of the UT must be preserved; this is our point of departure. We are going to meticulously talk through everything because at this phase in the project, we want to keep control as a university. After that people need to be given space to go for it fully. It is and will always be a commercial venture.'
Langezijds will be redeveloped to a high-grade and multifunctional company center that bridges the gap between knowledge, science and industry. Gude believes there is heavy interest in the project from the market. Work is being done on the realization of an incubator (a `delivery room' for young entrepreneurs) and for start-ups in nano and biotechnology and ITC, among others. The majority of the applications come from restarting and returning businesses, companies with 5-10 employees and with a work area of about 150-300m2. Other target groups are R&D departments of large companies, production laboratories, knowledge-intensive and technological services and training centers. Langezijds will be completely stripped and the middle part will be taken down. A spectacular glass hall will be placed between two new high towers. Both wings of the complex will get an extra floor and a parking garage on the ground floor. The total project will be about 55,000 m2. The east wing, with about 8,500 m2, will be completed first and is expected to be finished by the beginning 2010. In the second phase, the towers and central hall, with a total surface of circa 20.000 m2 and the west wing, will be completed. The former techno-hall is currently being used by the AKI and will be, in due time, integrated into the total concept.
