By SALINA POST
On Friday morning, Aug. 30, Kansas State University Salina and Pure Imagination Labs broke ground on the Kansas Advanced Immersive Research for Emerging Systems, or K-AIRES, Center, a spatial computing and learning facility that will propel the state of Kansas to the forefront of the technology entertainment industry.
Announced last year, the $41 million, 47,500-square-foot K-AIRES Center will be a state-of-the-art studio and training space that will leverage immersive environments and provide learning and experiential opportunities to students that no other university does.
The K-AIRES facility will be located near the intersection of Scanlan Avenue and Beechcraft Road on the K-State Salina campus.
"This is not just construction on campus, this is the next step in creating a successful future for the K-State Salina and the Salina community," said Alysia Starkey, K-State Salina CEO and dean. "This facility and the collaborative partnerships that make it possible are a great example of what can happen when we come together with vision, purpose, and determination."
As the first corporate partner to colocate on the Salina campus, Pure Imagination will bring entertainment work and careers to Kansas.
"Spatial computing is revolutionizing the way we engage with our environment, seamlessly integrating the physical and digital realms," said Joshua Wexler, co-founder of Pure Imagination Studios. "Salina, Kansas, stood out to us because of its unwavering commitment to fostering innovation and pushing the boundaries of technology. This groundbreaking technology will not only create a new art form and storytelling medium for entertainment but will also transform simulation, training and countless other industries."
Pure Imagination Studios is an award-winning independent entertainment studio best known for combining proprietary technology with groundbreaking storytelling.
"Along this monumental journey, everyone would ask us, 'Why did we choose Salina Kansas?' Was it the wheat, the sunsets? Well, those are lovely, but the real reason is, there's no traffic, and you can always find a parking space," Wexler joked. "But the second reason, and more importantly, is the people. The people of Kansas, have a certain spark, a combination of grit, guts and good old-fashioned get it done attitude. And let's face it, you're going to build a future. You want to do it in a place where people believe in hard work and big dreams, and Salina is a place that values the future."
The company develops original content and works with some of Hollywood's most recognized entertainment studios, including DreamWorks, FOX, The LEGO Group, Netflix, Marvel Entertainment and Warner Bros.
"A lot of what we want to do here [K-AIRES] is really develop the new tools and technology that will drive a lot of the industries we're working in entertainment, education, for simulation, for training," Wexler said. "A lot of the work we'll do here is building mockups and testing, but at the same time also onboarding a lot of students into the program and getting them ready for careers in all of these different technological fields. A lot of people don't realize you could be in the space industry, you can be in the entertainment industry."
The new headquarters at the K-AIRES Center will be home to the Pure Imagination Labs, a branch of the company focused on expanding the horizons of technology and imagination.
Starkey said the groundbreaking ceremony is a dream come true for the K-State Salina campus.
"It feels amazing. It's kind of like a dream come true. It's something that I can't even believe is happening," Starkey said. "Our work with General Atomics Innovation, they were wanting a simulation center. This has turned into so much more than a simulation center, being able to serve multiple different industries, in addition to to the aerospace industry and manufacturing industries. It's going to be an amazing project."
Salina Community Economic Developement Organizations Executive Director, Mitch Robinson shared how large-scale, competitive projects like K-AIRES become a reality through a combination of strategic vision and robust community support.
"This project is a little bit different, because it was originally on the airport property," Mitch Robinson said. "The airport was going to own and lease the building to the company, and then it evolved."
Robinson said Lt. Governor/Commerce Secretary Toland and the tools used by commerce were critical in securing this project.
"We [Salina Eco. Devo. Org.] have an excellent relationship with commerce and the Lieutenant Governor and Governor Kelly," Robinson said. "She has been personally involved in Schwans and Great Plains, Kubota, she has had an active role in all those things ."
Robinson continued.
"I would say without the support of Kansas Department of Commerce and their programs, also our state legislative partners, we wouldn't see the level of growth and development we have seen. Those partnerships have been so important to make things happen here," Robinson said.
The following recognized guests attended the groundbreaking ceremony:
Dept. Secretary Joshua Jefferson, Kansas Department of Commerce
Kansas Senator J.R. Claeys
Kansas Representative Steven Howe
Kansas Representative Clarke Sanders
Reid Petty, staff, Jerry Moran's office
Richard H. Linton, K-State president
Jesse Mendez, K-State provost
Marshall Stewart, K-State executive vice president
Patrick Burt, K-State vice president of communications and marketing
Joshua Wexler, co-founder of Pure Imagination Labs
Ray Cronise, K-State Salina consultant
Alan Woody Snyder, General Atomics-ASI
Cassandra Roper, General Atomics-ASI
Sam Kleinbeck, General Atomics-ASI
Lt. Gen. Perry Wiggins, Governor's Military Council
Tim Zimmerman, Kansas Dept. of Commerce
Mitch Robinson, Saline County Economic Development Organization
Phillip Smith-Haynes, County Administrator
Renee Duxler, Salina Aera Chamber of Commerce
Mike Hoppock, Commissioner
Tim Rogers, Salina Airport Authority
Pieter Miller, Salina Airport Authority
The new K-AIRES Center is anticipated to open in 2026 and is being designed and constructed by the design-build partnership of McCownGordon Construction and Multistudio.