On Thursday the Senate Trade and Economic Development Committee considered legislation that would transfer two Innovate Washington buildings located in Spokane to Washington State University.
Innovate Washington was created in 2011 as the successor agency to the Washington Technology Center and the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, serving as the primary agency to grow the state’s innovation-based economy. But last year the Legislature eliminated funding for a series of economic development related boards, commissions and agencies, including Innovate Washington.
Senate Bill 6518 would eliminate the agency from statute and transfer the Innovate Washington Building, located on the WSU Spokane campus, to WSU. The Technology Center Building is adjacent to the campus and, under the bill, the master lease for the building would be transferred to WSU.
The university already is the largest occupant in both facilities and already provides maintenance and operations support for the Innovate Washington Building. WSU programs housed in the buildings include a pharmacy and medical research facility, a Small Business Development Center, the Area Health Education Center and the Applied Sciences Laboratory.
If transferred to WSU, the buildings would be used to help the campus build out its health sciences mission. Recent federal funding to a Spokane health consortium that includes WSU Spokane will support new medical residencies at a new community health clinic to open on campus. The clinic would provide students with an opportunity to develop their skills while providing health care services for the community.
You can view WSU’s full testimony to the Committee below.