FISTA Innovation Park making more expansion plans

FISTA Innovation Park continues to grow almost faster than its governing body can make space available.

Unfinished space within Central Plaza’s old Sears store “is rapidly shrinking,” said FISTA Development Trust Authority Barry Ezerski, after authority members signed off on plans Tuesday to convert even more former retail space into office and work space for military defense contractors who are making or plan to make FISTA their home. Ezerski said that three years into the FISTA Innovation Park project, the space available in the 100,000-square-foot former retail area on Central Plaza’s west side is shrinking. That comes as FISTA authority members are making plans in next year’s budget to set aside $500,000 for the former Dillard’s store on the mall’s south side, space that also will be converted when the old Sear’s store is full.

Tuesday, the trust authority signed off on plans to convert more space into amenities that FISTA tenants, staff and those who meet in the complex will need.

The authority approved contracts with QUAD Construction and CDBL Professional Construction Services, designating both firms as construction manager at risk (CMAR). That designation gives the firms control of construction projects within FISTA that are valued at less than $5 million, meaning those projects can move forward without the bidding process. CMAR means the designated firm is in charge of the contract, taking the lead role in advertising for subcontractors, analyzing bids and selecting the winning firm that they, in turn, will bring to the authority for final approval.

Both firms have worked with FISTA, and FISTA President/CEO Krista Ratliff said an analysis of both firms found them scoring within 1 point of each other, meaning FISTA staff is “happy to award both.”

Both already have projects that the trust authority also approved Tuesday.

For QUAD, it is building incubator/accelerator space, eight areas that will include four, 850-square-foot work areas and four more offices. The space will be suitable for tenants that already have contracts with FISTA, Picogrid and Firehawk Aerospace. QUAD anticipates starting construction on this project soon, Ratliff said.

CDBL’s project will be building a cafeteria, kitchen and more conference space within FISTA 1, complementing what already is there. Ratliff said the work will include one large conference space (similar to the one that already exists) that can be broken into three smaller meeting spaces, and a smaller 5,000-square-foot conference area that can be broken into two spaces. FISTA officials have said the complex already needs more conference space.

Another major component of CDBL’s project will be an industrial kitchen that can be used to cater for up to 2,000 people. Ratliff said the kitchen would allow food to be prepared on site or host catered meals brought from outside. While the plan today is a catering kitchen, she said there may be a time in the future that the kitchen could serve daily meals for some tenants, such as youth attending the STEM lab. Responding to concerns from authority members, Ratliff said the kitchen would not compete with restaurants already in Central Plaza because it will be used to cater specific FISTA events.

Construction is expected to begin within 60 days.