Indiana University helped lead an all-out celebration “blitz” on Friday, Nov. 22, at the grand opening of The Forge, Bloomington’s new $13 million sustainable technology center in the city’s downtown Trades District.
Even though IU’s football team suffered its first defeat the following day, Bloomington is still buzzing with excitement over two of its biggest stories of the year—the history-making, bowl-bound Hoosiers and the opening of the city’s new two-level, 22,000-square-foot, Class A office facility, which is expected to drive collaboration, creativity and entrepreneurship across the surrounding region.
“For me, [The Forge] is the most exciting thing that’s happened this year in Bloomington—south of 17th Street,” said U.S. Sen. Todd Young, who sported a red IU cap at the grand opening in support of the gridiron Hoosiers, who have dominated opponents this year at 17th Street’s Memorial Stadium.
Young’s headwear also underscored a key theme of the celebration—campus and community partnership. Many of those who walked through the doors of The Forge for the first time on Friday also attended an August celebration at Bloomington’s business incubator, The Mill, where officials from IU, Bloomington and the Trades District celebrated IU’s $16 million College and Community Collaboration grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. Through the grant, which represents 20% of the total $80+ million investment in the Trades District, IU will provide talent, expertise and other resources to accelerate the development of the district into a thriving hub for innovation, economic development and community engagement.
As IU President Pamela Whitten outlined in her remarks, a portion of the grant will fund office buildouts for tenants in The Forge. IU is also leading a working group of IU staff and faculty experts to help recruit new businesses to Bloomington.
Additionally, in partnership with IU Innovates, IU’s new initiative that expands support for student and faculty business startups, the Trades District will create pathways for startups that may end up locating in The Forge. IU is already seeking to develop internships and networking opportunities for students with companies in the Trades District, an initiative that Whitten said The Forge will only enhance.
Whitten, Sen. Young, Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson, Senior Vice President of The Mill John Fernandez and Bloomington-based entrepreneur and IU alumnus Ravi Bhatt helmed the celebration, which highlighted the impact of The Forge on the development of a high-powered technology corridor between the 16 Tech Innovation District in Indianapolis and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, in Odon, Ind. Whitten, who announced last year that IU would invest at least $111 million to advance its leadership in microelectronics and nanotechnology, said The Forge will help accelerate the growth of the tech corridor while also continuing Indiana’s momentum across key emerging industries.
“We fully expect that The Forge will become a key destination on the innovation corridor that runs from Indianapolis to NSWC Crane,” said Whitten, who wore her No 19 football jersey to the ceremony. (Whitten is IU’s 19th president.) “With Crane and the CHIPS and Science Act attracting more industries, the potential to help build Indiana’s economy of the future is enormous. With a multi-billion-dollar life sciences industry in Indianapolis … and a thriving microelectronics industry just an hour’s drive south along I-69, the possibilities for collaboration and innovation are limitless.”
Heading into 2025, IU, the city and the Trades District will build on the milestone opening of The Forge by partnering in the development of connectivity and placemaking efforts. The $16 million Lilly Endowment grant will enable IU artists and arts administrators to support the development of new artwork and cultural programming in the Trades District, while also engaging faculty and students from across IU Bloomington’s schools and departments in various development projects.
“As we stand here today, we are reminded of the power of community and the impact of collective effort,” said Whitten. “The Forge is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together towards a common goal. This project goes beyond mere infrastructure. It’s about forging a future where Bloomington, Indiana, stands out as an undisputed leader in fostering innovation and opportunity.”