It appears EdCampus will be the first to locate in the city’s future BioTech Center. Monday night, the Chaska City Council unanimously approved the concept plan for the “multi-versity” – a campus built to house a multitude of higher education facilities.

EdCampus will span 51 acres, including a main 450,000-square foot, four-story building with 121 customizable classrooms. As many as 5,000 students are expected to attend annually.

According to EdCampus representatives, they will begin leasing space on Sept. 1.

“We’ve had a tremendous amount of interest in the last four to six months,” said Mike Schroeder, with EdCampus.

The school is tentatively scheduled to break ground next spring.

“We want it to be prominent in the community,” said Schroeder. “It’s a great model for others in the bioscience zone to match.”

Hilton?

EdCampus isn’t the only institution expressing interest in located in the bioscience zone, though. Interim City Administrator Matt Podhradsky said that the city has made contact with a number of interested parties.

At a recent Chaska Area Chamber of Commerce meeting, the name Hilton Hotels was tossed around as one of those interested parties. Podhradsky wouldn’t confirm the Hilton chain, but acknowledged that there was a hotel group “potentially looking at the center in conjunction with EdCampus.”

“They’re far from committing, but see the synergies,” said Podhradsky. “It’s a good sign we’re talking to them.”

-Mollee Francisco, staff writer