NEO Center Business Incubator to Open Soon

NEO Center business incubator to open soon
Startups aim for June move-in at Lansing site

Written by: Melissa Domsic

Published: Lansing State Journal Thursday, March 3, 2011

Marketing and media technology startups should begin moving into a new business incubator in north Lansing by June.

A couple of tenants already are lined up for the Center for New Enterprise Opportunity, or NEO Center business incubator at 934 Clark St., between Grand River and Oakland avenues.

Renovations

The Ingham County Land Bank purchased the 6,920-square-foot two-story building in summer 2009 for $11,309 after it went into tax foreclosure. The Land Bank recently sold the property for $45,000 to RKH Investments LLC, associated with East Lansing-based Kincaid Henry Building Group Inc.

Kincaid Henry is renovating the building and will relocate its headquarters there by June or July. The company and its 10 employees plan to occupy about half of the building.

The project goes along with the company's experience in repurposing existing buildings, CEO Ryan Kincaid said."And the opportunity to grow small businesses with an incubator - it's a great opportunity and it's what Lansing needs," he said.

Subleasing spaces

The company would lease space to the NEO Center, which would then sublease work spaces to office tenants for about $180 to $450 a month, said Tom Stewart, the center's president. Lansing-based social media consulting firm UZoom Media will be among the first office tenants, Stewart said.

About 500 square feet of co-working space also will be available to students for $50 a month or to the general public for $100 a month.

The NEO Center is run by a seven-member board of local business and community leaders.