Through a lease agreement with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, the JAXUSA Partnership will soon offer innovators and entrepreneurs a new accelerator space on the second floor of the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center.

And through a close relationship with Haskell and other companies in the community, the Open Innovation Center at JRTC will be a vibrant and inspiring place for the region’s startup ecosystem to flourish.

Given their experience working with entrepreneurs, JAXUSA officials saw an opportunity to offer an environment to explore innovation models and advance innovative thinking, said Carlton Robinson, JAX Chamber Chief Innovation Officer, in announcing the deal. The new direction for us at the JAX Chamber presents a brand of innovation that positions the region as an attractive partner for corporate innovation, entrepreneurism, and Smart City initiatives, which use data to manage assets and resources.

“JAXUSA wanted a best-in-class innovation center to represent Jacksonville on the national level,” said Chris Allen, Design Principal in Haskell’s Infrastructure & Transportation (I&T) Group. “They did a lot of research on these types of ‘sprint cycle’ entrepreneurial incubator spaces. They educated the Haskell design team on what they were looking for, and the designers then interpreted those precedents into something unique to Jacksonville.”

They had a welcoming canvas in the newly constructed JRTC. A dynamic curved floorplan offers fantastic views of the city, and the architecture is forward-looking and energizing. Inside the space, the design team continued the modern aesthetic with an open floor plan concept, the latest in furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) from Perdue Office Interiors, and a variety of flexible spaces that support entrepreneurs in residence to develop their ideas for market.

Haskell was engaged for the architectural and engineering design and Perdue for the FF&E. Auld & White acted as the general contractor with Miller Electric (Electrical) and W.W. Gay (Mechanical) as subcontractors.

The project encompasses 3,900 square feet and is designed to accommodate four assigned staff members and up to 50 people for “sprint cycles,” presentations and fundraising events. The facility is scheduled to open in the fall.

Contact Haskell’s architecture and engineering teams discuss bringing your ideal structure and space to life.