Mixed-use development emphasizes research, technology and global commerce - Houston Business Journal:

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The first two buildings, totalinhg 288,000 square feet of development and commercial space and valued ataboug $300 million, have been completed in the past few weeks. The projec t is distinguished by asoaring 125-foot shade structure that anchorx the plaza between the two buildings. At build-out, SkySon g ­­— formally called the ASU Scottsdale InnovatiohnCenter — will include 1.2 million square feet of commerciao space and an assortment of urbamn residences. But the foremost goal from the start was to create an officw development with aninternationall high-tech cachet.
Even when timexs were robust within thedevelopment community, the plan to buildx SkySong was no easy task. it took a collection of local andnationap firms, along with the Arizona State Universitg Foundation and the city of Scottsdale, to pull off the developmenty duties. But once it was off the ground, woulc tenants come? They did. Office leasinf activity appears stronger at SkySong than at projectse in other parts ofthe Valley, with more than a dozem companies from outside the U.S. occupying Local firms also have signed on to participatw in what they believe will be an internationallyinfused environment.
Craig Coppola, principal of , whicbh recently assumed the listing assignment for credits ASU for getting theball rolling. “The connection with ASU has drivenh a majority of tenantsto date,” he said. “Ths school has a great globak reach, and they’re a huge innovator and technology engine inNorth America.” Nate director of strategic partnerships at ASU, said that was the plan all Leverage ASU’s global connections to attract international companies, then use that to appeal to more conventional firms.
Attracting globa l business, however, isn’t that Companies in other countries usually have a solid idea about the kindas of cities that hold appeap for them inthe U.S. that’s driven by cultural connections andmediz profile. For instance, Los New York and San Francisco all have vibran t ethnic neighborhoods ofhistorical distinction. They also attracrt international press. “When you look at that Arizona doesn’t come to mind,” Summer So Summer and his team developed a strategy they hopesd would put SkySong on foreign radar screens. “We told them we’d investf resources to help them navigate the challenges of operating in the he said.
“It’s a daunting challenge for many of them to do businesse inthe U.S. There are many barriers to entry.” Some of the greatestt barriers involve language and social By working to overcomerthose difficulties, SkySong has been able to attract an interestinb collection of global firms. One of those is , a Singapore-basedx company that focuses on educational testpreparatioj software. Co-owner Viswanath Parameswaren credits ASU for developinfg a creative environment that will enhancehis company’s experience and reach in the U.S. “Over the last year, (SkySong) has become an excellent test bed for our ideas and products,” he said.
“Thew ability to mix and share ideas withglobapl entrepreneurs, students and faculty has addede to our excitement.”