Last month’s topping out ceremony for Convergence wasn’t just a construction milestone, it was a symbol of Oklahoma City’s commitment to innovation, collaboration and growth. The 230,000-square-foot mixed-use development will be the crown jewel of Northeast OKC’s Innovation District, a thriving hub for advancements in science and technology. CONVERGENCE REACHES NEW HEIGHTS WITH TOPPING OUT CEREMONY
4 package. In 2022, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber helped secure a $35 million Build Back Better Grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to further develop Oklahoma City as a biotech hub. The grant, created through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), will help launch six core projects including BioTC, Oklahoma’s first biomanufacturing training facility. Spearheaded by BioTC Executive Director Koey Keylon, this facility promises to address a critical need for hands-on training in the biomanufacturing industry. Keylon’s vision of providing short-term, skills-based programs reflects the practical approach needed to meet the demands of this highly technical field. “There’s going to be $7.4 million worth of specialized equipment in this training center,” said Keylon. “Most colleges can’t even stand something like that up, and the only reason we’re getting to is because of the EDA and ARPA funding that we got for this.” The center will provide much-needed workers for the Innovation District’s anchor tenant, Wheeler Bio, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for next-gen protein therapeutics. “The most important people they’re looking for when they get a new project is the people that do the actual production work on the production floor in a clean room, and they’re the ones that typically take the longest to train because they don’t have that hands-on experience with that very technical equipment,” said Keylon. BioTC will provide that specialized training in just three weeks, whether the student is coming from high school, college or a completely different industry. Once they’re certified they can immediately get to work, making approximately $50,000 a year. The design of the BioTC not only facilitates effective training but also serves as a showcase for Oklahoma City’s innovation ecosystem. Its proximity to Convergence’s production floor highlights the seamless transition from training to real-world application. “You’ll be able to see people being trained in biomanufacturing on one side of that promenade, then turn around and look the other way and there’s the production floor,” said Keylon. Convergence is on track to open early next year.
Convergence OKC developers Mark Beffort (left) and Richard Tanenbaum (right) at last month's Topping Out Ceremony.
“This is an incredibly special building. I’ve built a lot of stuff in Oklahoma City, but nothing as special as this building,” said Richard Tanenbaum, CEO of Gardner Tanenbaum Holdings, one of the project’s development partners along with Robinson Park Investments. Convergence has several goals. One is to forge meaningful connections between Oklahoma City’s aerospace industry and other innovation sectors. To accomplish that, the building’s eighth floor will house a strategic partnership between the University of Oklahoma, Tinker Air Force Base and a soon-to-be- named aerospace partner. The development also includes an office and research tower, a boutique hotel, Stiles Park and Innovation Hall, a cutting-edge community event center that will serve as a nexus for collaboration and progress. Innovation Hall was funded by Oklahoma City voters through the MAPS
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