'The Oddie District' is planning the redevelopment of the former Lowe's building in Sparks.

Officials say they are planning on creating flex-tech offices, maker spaces, small shops, food and beverage offerings and work-live studios for artists and entrepreneurs in the former building.

They say this will be a $30 million redevelopment of the 200,000 sq ft. building at 24500 Oddie Boulevard.

Officials say the model for the redevelopment model is being done by Foothill Partners and Innovation Collective.

They say the nonprofit 'The Generator' will be the largest tenant in The Oddie District. 40,000 sq ft. of the building, that used to be the garden center, will be used to display artwork created at The Generator. The Generator is a makers space for artists and anyone wanting to create, but recently lost their lease, and were hard pressed to find options they could afford. It just so happened that the Generator's business fit in perfect with what developers were looking for.

"The generator is all about community, it's creating community through the arts and that's what we do here, we create through arts and through commerce," said Nettie Oliverio, Director of Arts and Culture for Foothill Partners.

"I want companies that make things. It might be a physical product, it might be video, it might be music, it might be food. But we are looking to build a cultrue," said Doug Wiele, President of the Foothill Partners. 

Officials say Innovation Collective, which works with the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development, will provide 12,500 sq ft. of collaborative office spaces next door to The Generator.

"The maker economy that is finding it's home in America again, we want this to be the focal point of the maker economy for the Reno, Sparks and the broader region," said Wiele

They say Innovation Collective will also host many of its events to tenants of the district.

Officials say another 60,000 sq ft. of flex-tech space will be home to technology, research, engineering, software and design companies. An 8,000-square-foot brewery/distillery will open onto covered, open-air seating area, and an events stage to be carved from the front of the building. Another 10,000 square feet of space will be available for food and beverage uses, and 9,000 square feet will provide homes for small shops and service businesses. Work-live studios will provide workspaces and homes for artists and entrepreneurs.

Officials expect to complete its acquisition of the building, currently owned by Renown Health, late this year. The Generator will move into the project soon after the purchase.

"Every dollar that is put into arts and culture, 7 dollars in economic prosperity comes back to that same entity. So it's really like the golden goose," said Oliverio.

They say construction inside the structure is scheduled to begin in February, with the first phases available for occupancy in September. Plans call for completion of The Oddie District by early 2022.

For more information about the Oddie District, visit OddieDistrict.com and leave your email address to receive updates about the project. To learn more about Foothill Partners, please visit www.foothillpartners.com, and to learn more about The Generator, head over to www.therenogenerator.com. For more information on Innovation Collective, please visit www.InnovationCollective.co.