1871 could double in size
Photo by Tech Cocktail via Flickr.com
1871 could double in size if Howard Tullman gets his way.
Tullman already is at work on 1871 3.0, as he calls it. I first reported his plans to add space on the 13th floor of the Merchandise Mart, above 1871's current home.
But during a presentation last night to the Metropolitan Planning Council, Tullman said he's looking for an expansion of 25,000 to 50,000 square feet.
1871 opened a 25,000-square-foot expansion in the fall, doubling its original space.
One reason Tullman wants to grow is to allow 1871 startups that are successful to stick around, to stay plugged into their network, but also serve as a positive influence to others.
He said the expansion would also hold more classrooms and a maker lab. It also would be home to additional incubators and accelerators focused on retail and data. Areas of particular interest are smart homes, connected cars, digital currency, open data and public data.
1871 already houses accelerator programs for specific industries or interests, such as real estate, education and military veterans turned entrepreneurs.