Wedge Innovation Press Conference
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ALTON - Community leaders gathered at The Wedge Innovation Center to learn about the center’s progress and plans for the future.
During a press conference at The Wedge on Nov. 14, 2024, Governor J.B. Pritzker fielded questions about the state of Illinois and the development of the center. He expressed his enthusiasm for the innovation space and his belief that it will benefit Alton.
“Seeing the development of something like this in Alton, it does the heart good,” Pritzker said. “It also tells you that Illinois is on the rise everywhere. And when you’ve got really great people coming together, bringing their resources to make it possible for people to build great businesses here, that’s how economic growth is made.”
A project by AltonWorks, The Wedge Innovation Center will host anchor tenants and co-working spaces. They plan to have several Midwest AI Network (MAIN) labs available for companies to utilize. The building will be home to many existing companies as well as start-ups and small local businesses.
The Wedge will also have an entire floor dedicated to SIUE. Pritzker noted the importance of collaborating with the local university.
“I can tell you that having the university involved directly in this space and available to the entrepreneurs is a huge benefit,” he said. “Having been involved with a lot of entrepreneurs over the course of my business career, the resources that a major university — and a successful one at that — can bring to the table mean that there will be economic success that’s greater than it otherwise would have been, because they’re sharing space and sharing ideas.”
Pritzker added that he previously launched a similar innovation space in Chicago called 1871. He said he is “very excited” to see new iterations of innovation hubs in cities like Alton.
He also expressed his appreciation for the revitalization of The Wedge building while honoring the building’s history. As an organization, AltonWorks has named revitalization of downtown buildings as one of their top priorities.
“Can I just say that it is spectacular that these buildings are being revitalized?” Pritzker said. “The look, the feel, it has this very cool vibe as a result of the mixture of what’s happening inside, which are modern businesses being created, and the outside. As people can see, there’s a real history to honor and cherish that is being done by the supporters of this. So this is about as cool as it gets.”
John Simmons, CEO of AltonWorks, thanked Pritzker and Emily Hemingway, executive director of The Wedge Innovation Center. Simmons noted that the project would not be possible without collaboration between the government and Alton.
“We couldn’t do this without the help of the state and the federal government,” he said. “The legislature, the City of Alton, the state of Illinois have all been great. We’ve truly melded these dollars and, I think, maximized it. And Emily’s going to showcase it.”
The Wedge Innovation Center is set to open in February 2025.
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