Developers Bridge the Gap Between Town and University

A class A office campus will soon connect the school to the town of Edwardsville, IL.

St. Louis—The recruitment of talent has become a key concern for many US corporations, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is launching a new project that will allow businesses to forge close relationships with its growing student population. The school, located in the St. Louis metro area, has signed a deal with Balke Brown Transwestern to develop its 330-acre University Park into a mixed-use business park with commercial office, research and development, and technology space.

“Right now, the school has a lot of land that is not being fully utilized,” Mike Hurley, vice president of Balke Brown, tells GlobeSt.com. And that space also creates a barrier between the campus and the town. “We’re going to bridge that gap, and create a stepping stone from the city to the university.”