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

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The first two buildings, totaling 288,000 square feet of development and commercial space and valued atabout $300 million, have been completef in the past few The project is distinguished by a soaring 125-foot shad structure that anchors the plazwa between the two At build-out, SkySong ­­— formallhy called the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Centedr — will include 1.2 million square feet of commercialk space and an assortment of urban But the foremost goal from the starr was to create an office development with an international high-tec cachet. Even when times were robusty within thedevelopment community, the plan to buildr SkySong was no easy task.
it took a collection of local and national along with the Arizona State University Foundationb and the cityof Scottsdale, to pull off the developmenf duties. But once it was off the wouldtenants come? They did. Office leasing activithy appears stronger at SkySong than at project in other parts ofthe Valley, with more than a doze companies from outside the U.S. occupying Local firms also have signed on to participate in what they believee will bean innovative, internationallhy infused environment. Craig Coppola, principal of , which recently assumed the listing assignmentfor SkySong, credits ASU for gettinv the ball rolling.
“The connection with ASU has driven a majority of tenantasto date,” he “The school has a great global reach, and they’rwe a huge innovator and technology engine in North Nate Summer, director of strategicc partnerships at ASU, said that was the plan all along: Leverage ASU’ s global connections to attract internationalp companies, then use that to appeal to more conventional firms. Attracting globao business, however, isn’t that easy. Companies in other countries usuallyu have a solid idea about the kinds of cities that hold appeak for them inthe U.S. Usually, that’s drivenh by cultural connections andmediaw profile.
For instance, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisci all have vibrant 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 hoped would put SkySong onforeigh companies’ radar screens. “We told them we’ds invest resources to help them navigate the challenge of operating in the he said. “It’s a daunting challenge for many of them to do business inthe U.S. Ther are many barriers to entry.
” Some of the greatestf barriers involve language and social By working to overcome those SkySong has been able to attract an interesting collection ofglobal firms. One of those is , a Singapore-baseds company that focuses on educational testpreparation software. Co-ownefr Viswanath Parameswaren credits ASU for developinb a creative environment that will enhancehis company’s experiences and reach in the U.S. “Ovetr the last year, (SkySong) has becomr an excellent test bed for our ideas and he said.
“The ability to mix and shard ideas withglobal entrepreneurs, students and facultuy has added to our