Hinesville to partner with Georgia Southern University to open small business incubator

HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) - Hinesville is one step closer to building its small business incubator. The city is partnering with Georgia Southern University, which already has incubators in Statesboro and Metter.

Georgia Southern University’s Liberty Campus will soon have a new building sitting right across Memorial Drive. The .72-acre area will be the home of Hinesville’s small business incubator, the first of its kind in the area.

Georgia Southern University and the City of Hinesville broke ground on the incubator in January, and now officials are looking to start construction. City leaders say an invitation to bid on the project will go out in the next few weeks. Once the Hinesville city council selects the contractor, construction can begin.

The incubator will be a hub for local entrepreneurs planning to launch and maintain a successful business. Kenneth Howard, Hinesville’s city manager says this is another way the city can help turn entrepreneurial dreams into a reality.

“They could enhance their capacity, where they could thrive on their own as they continue to process the incubator facility,” Howard said.

Howard says the $1.5 million facility is expected to take a little over a year to build.

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