The revitalized mill district is gaining a wider reputation as a fertile ecosystem for technology firms. Buildings that were once filled with upward of 10,000 workers toiling over mechanical looms and other machinery are now home to at least 30 tech company offices, including Texas Instruments and Autodesk, along with professional offices, college classrooms and a smattering of restaurants. The concentrated activity is attracting apartment and hotel developers, who are beginning to build within the millyard and just outside it in the city’s downtown.
The district’s continued revival is further assured by the Defense Department’s recent decision to award $80 million over five years to establish an institute here focused on creating an industry for the biofabrication of human tissue and organs. Called the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, or ARMI, the effort is expected to draw an additional $200 million in investment from partners around the country that include major companies, universities and nonprofits.
