Tribe Square is going to be a little less empty in the coming months.
The College of William & Mary in May began preparing to open a new entrepreneurship hub in Tribe Square next to Chick-fil-a, according to the college’s website.
Suzanne Clavet, spokeswoman for the college, said the project is still in the construction phase and currently has no set opening date. The location is undergoing renovations to convert it from a restaurant to a multi-use space.
The hub will be an extension of the Alan B. Miller Entrepreneurship Center at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business and will provide a place for students to work on programming, networking, mentorship and other additional support.
“Entrepreneurial thinking will be our emphasis in this space — collaboration, creative thinking and judicious risk-taking — capacities that William & Mary students hone as they prepare to become change agents in any number of arenas,” said William & Mary President Katherine A. Rowe in a news release in May. “Prominently located in Tribe Square, the new hub will cultivate a culture of disciplined creativity across the university and with our regional partners.”
A large part of funding for the project comes from the President’s Strategic Investment Fund, which was created with a $1.5 million gift from an anonymous alumna.
The hub will be on the bottom floor of Tribe Square while the second and third floors remain as residential housing. Currently, Tribe Square has four retail spaces on the first floor which previously housed businesses such as Pita Pit and The Crust.
The college is hoping the centralized location of the hub will help bring students from across campus and encourage them to develop an entrepreneurial eye.
The college hopes to replicate part of the success created by the Miller Entrepreneurship Center which opened in 2010 and has been popular with students.
Clavet said she hopes to have an opening date for the hub in this fall.
