Gov. Brian Kemp and dozens of others top Georgia officials traveled to Gwinnett County last week for the groundbreaking of a major hub for research and collaboration in agriculture, medicine and the environment. The Rowen project is a 2,000-acre, non-profit led community outside Dacula, just about halfway between Atlanta and Athens.
“Rowen offers Georgia something it has never had before: a foundation-led site that will house all kinds of businesses driven by innovation,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “This project both connects our universities physically and also connects their programs, their research, and most importantly, their students. Because of the foresight of local and state leaders and the team at Rowen, Georgia and the world beyond will benefit from the ideas of the future in agriculture, environment, and medicine that will originate here.”
The community will bring together entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators in these fields, with the goals of innovation and collaboration. The Rowen Foundation will lead the project, an independent non-profit that aims to be a catalyst for education and “recognizes stewardship of the land as the cornerstone of an inspired community.”
Ultimately, the site will include 22 million square feet of lab, office and civic spaces, alongside a mix of multi-family residential, cafes, retail, parks and trails. Construction and development will be SITES-certified, meaning it will protect the existing ecosystem and be as sustainable as possible – including climate regulation, carbon storage and flood mitigation.
“We are blessed in Gwinnett County to have a wealth of economic opportunities that support innovation and job growth, but one of our greatest is Rowen, the first of its kind in Georgia,” said Gwinnett County Commission Chair Nicole Hendrickson. “This groundbreaking is the culmination of key partners coming together over the past two years to lay the foundation for this vision initially set by my predecessors. This vision and foresight is the epitome of the Gwinnett Standard and I could not be more excited to see Rowen finally getting underway.”
The president of the Rowen Foundation is Mason Ailstock, the former Chief Operating Officer at the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina and a co-chairman of the Urban Land Institute. The board is comprised of a Who’s Who of officials in Georgia academia, including the chairman of the board, Sachin Shailendra, former chair of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.
“Breaking ground and planting our first tree allows us to begin the process of accelerating inspiring economic, educational and community growth in Georgia and beyond,” said Rowen Foundation CEO and President Mason Ailstock. “The name Rowen alludes to a ‘second harvest’ and that is precisely what we plan to cultivate at this unique location. Rowen will be a trailblazer, connecting the land’s past to future opportunities for collaboration and innovation.”
At completion, Rowen is expected to create approximately 100,000 jobs, contributing more than $8 billion to the state’s economy.
