SPARK looks for new home in downtown Ypsilanti

Ann Arbor SPARK is about to decide where it will set up shop in Ypsilanti, again. The business incubator is looking for a new home after talks with the landlord at a former furniture store in downtown fell through.

“It just wasn’t going as quickly as we needed it to,” says Elizabeth Parkison, a spokeswoman for SPARK. “We’re really looking to have an incubator up and running by this fall.”

The incubator’s leaders have a short list of two spaces for a new satellite office and expect to make a decision within two weeks. Parkison wouldn’t say what the two possible locations are, saying it premature to release that information.

SPARK already has two locations inside the city of Ann Arbor but they wanted to expand. With Ypsi growing and becoming more attractive to people and businesses alike, it’s a perfect fit for SPARK.

The Ypsilanti business incubator will have a few more features added to it that the Ann Arbor locations don’t, including supporting student businesses and getting into the high schools to help students develop a higher interest in entrepreneurship.

The incubator will also share two large classrooms with the business department of Eastern Michigan University and will look to incorporate into the building their Michigan Innovation Equipment Depot program. This program is a collection of high quality, high value equipment that is donated to needy businesses that otherwise could not afford their stuff brand new. The equipment is already stored in a warehouse in Ypsilanti, but the hope is to bring it under one roof.  

Source: Elizabeth Parkison, spokeswoman for Ann Arbor SPARK
Writer: Jon Zemke