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Cortex Innovation Community Expands With Opening Of New Building

  • May 15, 2018

The Cortex Innovation Community in St. Louis, Missouri, has expanded with the opening of the community’s newest building, 4220 Duncan. The new five-story building contains 182,000 square feet of commercial space, featuring a two-story atrium lobby, a full-service restaurant, indoor and outdoor event and conference space, and a full-service health club.

“The new 4220 Duncan represents another important step in Wexford’s continued development of a dynamic Knowledge Community, in St Louis, that continues to bring together intellectual capital, entrepreneurial activity and corporate engagement.” said James Berens, President and CEO of Wexford Science & Technology, who developed the space. “Spaces like 4220 and others we’ve developed in Cortex as well as the Bio-Research and Development Growth (BRDG) Park at the Danforth Plant Science Center provide a center of gravity and congregation for the well recognized and expanding innovation and entrepreneurial activities taking place across St. Louis.”

Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) is a key anchor tenant of 4220, occupying 41,000 square feet. Other tenants include Microsoft, BJC Healthcare’s new WellAware fitness center, Accenture, a new Innovation Hall, and a full service restaurant.

“As we continue to build our innovation community here at Cortex, we are thrilled to have state-of-the-art facilities and critical anchors like CIC, BJC Healthcare, Microsoft and Accenture leading the way,” said Dennis Lower, president of Cortex. “The presence of 4220, and its tenants, adds further evidence to the reality that St. Louis has become one of the leading growth cities for innovation companies.”

The Cortex Innovation Community was created in 2002 through an initial investment of $29 million from Washington University, BJC HealthCare, the University of Missouri – St. Louis, Saint Louis University and the Missouri Botanical Garden. It has since grown into the region’s largest innovation hub, generating more than 4,000 jobs and upward of $500 million in investment.

Companies like Square, founded by St. Louis natives Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey, and Boeing have offices there, and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) singled out the Cortex Innovation Community as a key reason they chose St. Louis as the site for their new NGA West headquarters. Today, hundreds of companies call the Cortex Innovation Community home.

For more information on the Cortex Innovation Community, contact Steve Johnson, CEO of Missouri Partnership, at 314.725.2688 or via our contact form, with any questions you might have, and learn how Missouri Partnership can help with your business expansion and investment needs.

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