From Vision to Reality: Building a University Anchored Innovation District
From Vision to Reality: Building a University Anchored Innovation District
Source: NAIOP Magazine Spring 2026, By Claire Drummond, George Baxter and Leslie Fritzsche
Sacramento’s Aggie Square followed a model that balances real estate risk with public-interest goals.
In the evolving world of commercial real estate, few models have captured the attention of developers, universities and civic leaders as powerfully as the rise of innovation districts: mixed-use, research-driven urban hubs clustered around anchor institutions.
In May 2025, the University of California, Davis and its development partner, Wexford Science & Technology, LLC, alongside the city of Sacramento and the Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC), celebrated completion of the first phase of Aggie Square. The development journey of the $1.1 billion innovation district offers a compelling case study and instructive lessons in vision, partnership, compromise and community engagement.