Dubbed 'The Hub' by Carson City man, business incubator on track

The technology business incubator planned downtown in the former Stewart Title Co. building was named The Hub in a competition won by Ray Davy, a long-time Carson City resident.

The full name is The Hub: an Adams Business Development Center, according to the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation, called "Mae" for short by foundation manager Steve Neighbors.

Davy won an iPad and $1,000 in the contest to select the name.

Renovation is under way at the old Stewart building, both interior and exterior, in preparation for the business incubator role to help fledgling entrepreneurs grow their firms in the city and area.

Miya MacKenzie, marketing and public relations spokeswoman for the foundation, said the renovation is designed to retain some of the 1960s historic flavor while blending into the downtown well.

Architect Robert Darney hopes to create a flexible and energy-efficient space that can go through various configurations to serve a variety of tenants. The site is at 222 N. Carson St. at the intersection with Proctor Street.

Neighbors said one firm from California was definitely coming in to associate with the incubator, but he wasn't able to share the company name yet. MacKenzie said another from Reno appears definite as well. Both firms are high technology companies, she said.

"And we would love to get Carson City people in there," she said, stressing that local businesses would be great. She said the incubator will serve startups or existing businesses looking to go in a new direction.

The incubator concept is proceeding apace despite the rejection last November of financing for the City Center project, which hasn't derailed the concept despite no library for the downtown.

Rob Hooper, executive director of the Northern Nevada Development Authority, said Tuesday a few businesses right for the incubator are "eager to line up" as the project nears completion.

His development authority is partnering with the Neighbors-managed Mae foundation on the incubator project, which Hooper said soon after the November election is separate and going forward.

"We will revitalize the downtown regardless of the vote," he said then.

At that time, the incubator had tentatively been named the Carson City Tech Center and Accelerator and estimates were refurbishing the building would be done for an opening in the second half of 2013.

MacKenzie, as she talked of the new name and progress, said Tuesday the opening likely will come earlier than that.