What do you do with an abandoned hospital located in the middle of an older residential neighborhood?  If you're Tom Lesnak leading the Economic Development Council in Independence, Missouri, you 'ennovate.

Lesnak joined the Go To Market Show to discuss the Ennovation Center initiative in Independence and what it means for economic development in the area.  The 'E' represents 'entrepreneurship', something the incubator is focused on promoting.  The Center's partnership with the Independence School District brings 'education' into the equation.  Both are key parts of the story behind this innovative concept.

The business incubator concept is not new.  There are about 1,200 incubators located across the US.  Still, the thought of an incubator to help drive economic development appealed to Lesnak.  The idea took flight when someone approached Lesnak with the possibility of using the former Independence Regional Medical Center as an incubator.  What made the facility unique, was not only its size but also the facilities within the building, most notably the commercial kitchen and surgical suites.  That triggered a focus on two industries that fit well with the incubator concept - food products and bio-tech.

Things started coming together when Lesnak talked to the Independence School District, which was looking for space to house their central offices.  Funds were available from the tax incrementing financing project that brought Centerpoint Medical Center to Independence (the hospital was a replacement for Independence Regional).  The district and the EDC agreed to partner on the project.

Interest in the Ennovation Center has been strong, Lesnak said.  They have over 100 applicants to lease space in the kitchen facility.  To access space, applicants have to be approved - a process that looks at incorporation status, business planning, licenses, and liability insurance among other factors.  This separates serious ventures from those that have not moved past the hobby stage.

For its part, the Ennovation Center provides access to kitchen facilities where budding entrepreneurs can store ingredients, prepare, and package their food products.  They also provide coaching to help business concepts advance.  Lesnak confirmed that many of the folks that approach the Center are great cooks, but may not be great business people.  The Ennovation Center helps fill this gap by providing access to experts, many of whom consult on a pro bono basis on issues related to legal, accounting, marketing and more.

The Biotech side is taking hold as well, with the Ennovation Center recently signing their first client.  That company is three years old - still in the early stages.  It is moving from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, after a nationwide search.  The company owners decided that the Ennovation Center's turnkey combination of lab space, communications technology, office space, and conference facilities was the perfect set up to take their business to the next level.

Long-term goals call for the Ennovation Center to add business & technology space, providing a collaborative environment to help entrepreneurs launch their concept.

From an economic development standpoint, the prize is working with businesses to grow beyond the Ennovation Center.  When that happens, Lesnak and the EDC will be there to help find alternative locations in the city to keep jobs in Independence.

The process to get things rolling has been an interesting ride.  In many ways, it broke new ground by using an existing facility and in ways that has not been done before. The model for an incubator in a former hospital didn't exist.  Nor was there a model for partnering with a school district to create an entrepreneurial initiative like the Ennovation Center.  Lesnak is excited about the future and rewriting the recipe for economic development in Independence.  Like any entrepreneurial venture there will be ups and downs.  What's for sure is that with the Ennovation Center in place, the odds of success for start-ups in the area just became a whole lot better.

For information about the Center, visit www.ennovationcenter.com.