Strengthening K-State and the Kansas economy

May 18, 2022

Sun rising over K-State Office Park

What is the K-State Office Park?

K-State Office Park has one mission: to strengthen and advance Kansas State University. It is KSU Foundation’s master-planned, commercial office environment adjacent to K-State’s main campus and in the Edge Collaboration District at K-State. K-State Office Park provides state-of-the-art accommodations for partners who enhance academics and research on campus, contribute industry expertise, promote regional and international collaborations, and align with the university’s next-generation land-grant mission.

K-State Office Park is where cutting-edge innovation develops among campus and diverse industry partners.

How does the K-State Office Park advance Kansas State University?

Each partner tenant supports at least one of three initiatives: to enhance educational experience at K-State, support research and instruction innovations, and serve as a technical supplier to the university. Partner tenants:

  • Employ students and interns who often transition to full-time employees after graduation.
  • Connect K-State students with industry leaders, research and best practices.
  • Sponsor university competitive teams, events, clubs and campus spaces such as studios and collaboration places.
  • Host student networking and recruiting events, present to classes, mentor and host fieldwork.
  • Serve on K-State advisory boards to help ensure curricula are relevant to professional and research settings.
  • Donate products, services and professional knowledge to advance K-State’s innovative instruction and research.

Who are the partner tenants?

  • Asian Market, LLC.
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
  • Central Mechanical Construction Company
  • Control Service Company
  • Defense Contracting Activity, LLC.
  • Fulcrum Global Capital
  • Garmin International, Inc.
  • Girls on the Run
  • K-State Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs
  • McCownGordon Construction
  • Senator Jerry Moran
  • Scott Rice Office Works
  • Rockin K's gastropub
  • Topcon Agriculture
  • U.S. Stone Industries
  • United States Department of Agriculture
  • Veterinary and Biomedical Research Center
  • WTC Communications

What are the benefits of the K-State Office Park?

  • $0 donor funds used to build K-State Office Park.
  • 100% of tenants strengthen Kansas State University.
  • Two of five phases built; 1800 and 1880 Kimball Ave. 
  • Five phases will add 310,000 square feet of flexible research and office space to the K-State community when completed.
  • Expected to bring 5,000 jobs to the area and contributes to 56-acre academic and research park.
  • Will deliver $1.5B over the next 20 years to the region.

What is planned for the future of the K-State Office Park?

  • A community experience to include a K-State-themed pocket park.
  • Includes part of the Wellness Hub associated with the Edge Collaboration District at K-State.
  • Three additional master-planned building sites and new jobs introduced into the region.
  • Further professional, academic and research collaborations among campus and industry.

“I’ve been an intern with Garmin at the office park for a little over a year and work on aviation displays. Having the opportunity to work a part-time job like this during the school year is incredible. It’s the best part-time job I could have and gives me real-world experience working remotely with my team in Olathe, Kansas. By working here the semester before my summer internship, I was already up-to-speed on the work and that’s contributed to my long-term professional growth. I’ve accepted a full-time job with Garmin in their Phoenix, Arizona, office.” — Nils Peterson, senior, computer science.

“An office at K-State Office Park is the ideal way to engage with students, faculty, extension and the community. Topcon Ag has additionally engaged (K-State) biological and agricultural engineering, agronomy and the unmanned aircraft systems team at K-State Polytechnic.” — Brian Sorbe, vice president of product solutions and IoT business development, Topcon Agriculture.

“K-State Office Park allows us to partner with the university and entrepreneurial-minded faculty, students and industry. From here, we can collaborate with researchers and industry. K-State Office Park puts us in the middle of diverse academic resources.” — Dr. Kelly Lechtenberg ’87, owner, Veterinary and Biomedical Research Center, Inc.

 “We host interior design students to meet with design professionals at K-State Office Park and in our Steelcase headquarters. Scott Rice Office Works has sponsored the interior design annual symposium and one of my colleagues is on the interior design advisory board.” — Ron Burns, vice president of sales, Scott Rice Office Works.