Venture 13 Update

The media were invited on Friday Feb 9 to review progress on the construction work on the Venture 13 building and to get more details on how the space will be configured. Already 26 entrepreneurs have expressed interest in participating, 190 events have been booked and 5 groups want to use the MakerLab.  The tour included the second floor where the Police services group will be located.  Dalren project managers said that the project will be finished by mid-April – on time and on budget.  The building will be owned and managed by the Town although recruiting and managing the Entrepreneurs will be by Northumberland CFDC.

Venture 13 Building - view from D'Arcy Street.
Venture 13 Building – view from D’Arcy St.

The second floor will have security similar to the Police Station although one end of the second floor will be a lounge with a kitchen used by everyone in the building.

The ground floor layout is slightly different than that described earlier (see link 1 below). The division into areas is now more clearly defined and the site features are spelled out better.  CAO Stephen Peacock and CFDC Director Wendy Curtis are clearly on top of this project which is expected to be a major asset in helping Cobourg become a centre for Entrepreneur development.

Below is the updated floor plan (ground floor) – click to enlarge.

Venture 13 - Ground floor plan
Venture 13 – Ground floor plan

Four distinct areas with public Wi-Fi zone, fibre connection, 24 hour access and security.

  • Innovation Commons
    Includes 80+ seat Lecture hall, 36 and 18 seat training rooms and presentation space for demo days, talks and workshops.
  • MakerLab
    Shared space functioning primarily as a hardware Microfactory during the day and Makerspace on evenings and weekends.  Equipped for heavy prototyping and engineering, custom manufacturing requirements, operation of advanced innovation capital equipment.  3D printers will be included.
  • VentureZone
    Space for Northumberland CFDC startup companies that are innovative, fast growing, knowledge fed, technology led, and looking to make a difference within Northumberland. VentureZone. provides flexible co-location: 9 private offices, 30 open collaborative “hot seats” and 12 drop-in bar spots; phone booths and meeting collaboration space.  Spaces will be rented out but continued occupation will be contingent on progress.
  • Community Anchor  Organizations – permanent anchor tenants
    Cobourg Economic Development
    Northumberland Manufacturers Association
    Fleming College
    Cobourg Police Business Services

Events will be managed with web-based software and visitors will be able to use a kiosk in the entry foyer to find who they want.

The Police Business services on the second floor will initially have 25 staff but expansion is being considered by adding additional services (which ones were not specified).

The Northumberland CFDC web site now has a good amount of information on the project here.

Below are a couple of photos from the media tour. 

In the photos:

  • Councillors: Deputy Mayor John Henderson, Brian Darling, Debra McCarthy, Suzanne Seguin, Aaron Burchat.
  • Town Staff: CAO Stephen Peacock and Planning Director Glenn McGlashon.
  • CFDC: Wendy Curtis and John Hayden
  • Also Police and Contractor representatives (Sorry, I didn’t get their names).

Links

Entrepreneurs get Major Boost in Cobourg  – 21 November 2017

 

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perplexed
6 years ago

Just once I wish someone of Responsibility for these types of projects could translate this to ROI
returns on the investment to the Tax payers of Northumberland
Is this really money well spent ?