ARLINGTON, Virginia – On April 6, 2022, representatives from George Mason University and developer Mason Innovation Partners were joined by elected officials and local business leaders for the ceremonial groundbreaking of Fuse at Mason Square, a new urban destination of learning, collaboration, and economic development unlike anyplace else in Virginia.
Fuse at Mason Square will create a peerless innovation experience by providing unparalleled access to a pipeline of future talent and research to spark new ideas. Located at the center of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, Fuse will be the catalyst for digital innovators, researchers, and entrepreneurs to interact and thrive. By integrating collaborative workspaces and programming, Fuse will promote the exchange of new ideas and the transfer of intellectual property between Mason, partners, and the tech industry to accelerate the pace of change.
“Students and faculty will engage in learning and discovery alongside business start-ups and established companies alike,” said Dr. Gregory Washington, president of George Mason University at the groundbreaking event. “The journey of innovation – from ideas, through research and development, to business creation, workforce training, and commercialization – will all take place onsite because only Mason owns that entire development ecosystem to nurture innovations through every step of the development process.”
The 345,000-square-foot facility will house faculty and students working with the Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA) and their partners, and graduate programs from Mason’s new School of Computing. Fuse will bring together the public and private sectors in a collaborative alliance to solve the challenges of tomorrow.
“At this moment, we are facing a number of global problems: a pandemic, war, and global warming, to name a few,” said Paul Misener, Vice President for Global Innovation Policy and Communications at Amazon. “We are excited because here, today, Mason is confronting these global challenges that we must deal with as humanity, and that is why this is a celebration.”
Developed under a public-private partnership with Mason Innovation Partners, led by Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate, Fuse at Mason Square will create a new model for education and industry engagement and will set the pace for sustainable construction. Features of Fuse at Mason Square include:
“We are proud of the exceptional progress we’ve made in partnership with Mason to make Fuse at Mason Square a reality,” said Jamie Martin, Vice President/Chief Development Officer at Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate. “Now that we’ve put a shovel in the ground, we are eager to fill this space with synergistic industry partners that will compliment Mason’s tech talent and research initiatives to provide an ecosystem that is unmatched in the market.”
The Mason Innovation Partners team includes Clark Construction Group as general contractor, EYP as lead architect, OTJ Architects as the commercial interior architect, and Newmark as the commercial leasing partner. The project team also includes a long roster of small, women-owned, and minority-owned (SWaM) businesses.
“As a local team, we are excited to be delivering an asset that will play such a vital role in the future workforce needs of the region, and we have been intentional about maximizing opportunities for small and diverse businesses on this project," said Dave Tacchetti, Senior Vice President at Clark Construction. “As of the start of construction, we are on track to exceed Mason’s SWaM goals for Fuse, and we are looking forward to supporting the growth and success of these businesses over the course of this project and into the future.”
Designed to support digital innovation, active learning, cutting-edge research, business entrepreneurs, and tech incubators alongside education and policymakers, the new space is paramount to the development of the next generation of Northern Virginia’s technology workforce. As Virginia’s largest and most diverse public university, Fuse at Mason Square supports the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP), a 20-year program designed to produce 25,000 additional graduates in computer science, computer engineering and software engineering.
ABOUT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. In 2022, Mason celebrates 50 years as an independent institution. Learn more at gmu.edu.
ABOUT MASON INNOVATION PARTNERS
Mason Innovation Partners is led by Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate, a pioneer in the development, financing, leasing, operations, and activation of public buildings, infrastructure, and commercial real estate. Edgemoor’s tailored development solutions are based on the key principles of partnering with communities and creating building environments where end users thrive. Edgemoor’s portfolio includes over $4.3 billion in ongoing and completed work. Edgemoor was recently honored as a Profiles in Diversity Journal Top 10 Innovation in Diversity for 2020 Award Winner and asP3 Bulletin’s 2019 Developer of the Year. Learn more at www.edgemoor.com.
Christine Tuomey Lewellyn, Director of Marketing & Communications
301.742.8316
christine.lewellyn@edgemoor.com
www.edgemoor.com
