Inside Indiana Business - Indiana Tech is preparing to begin work on transforming a building in the Electric Works mixed-use innovation district near downtown Fort Wayne into a new advanced manufacturing innovation center.

Officials from the Fort Wayne-based school say construction on the nearly $18 million Junction 36 project could begin in about 30 days.

Plans for Junction 36 have been in the works for about two years. Indiana Tech completed its $1.5 million purchase of Building 36 on the west end of the former General Electric campus in March 2025.

New renderings from Fort Wayne-based design firm Elevatus Architecture, which is leading the Junction 36 design process, show how the building, which was previously used for heavy industrial purposes, will be transformed into a space designed to “serve as a catalyst for local innovation.”

Indiana Tech previously said that Junction 36 will serve as a center for hardtech and advanced manufacturing innovation, providing training and assistance to businesses. It will also house a workforce development program for students, who will have opportunities to work with area companies.

The facility will also be home to a public workshop program connecting residents and entrepreneurs with support services such as early-childhood education, affordable hosing and health resources so that they can better focus on advancing their education.

Elevatus, which served as the lead designer for the Electric Works project as a whole, said in a news release that the design for Junction 36 will provide flexible zones for light and heavy manufacturing, research and development, makerspaces, and startup collaboration.

“The interior will support hands-on learning, innovation, and community engagement within a layout shaped to encourage transparency, connection, and adaptability,” the firm said.

The exterior of the facility will be reimagined with large expanses of glass along public facades, as well as a new public plaza on the south side of the property for gatherings.

Junction 36 Executive Director Brian Engelhart said in an email to Inside Indiana Business that officials are finalizing the financing for the project. Indiana Tech aims to open the facility in August or September of 2027 after about 12 months of construction.

The project is being funded in part by a $21 million grant from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc.