THE ODDIE DISTRICT DESIGNATED WORLD’S LARGEST MAKERSPACE, INNOVATION CAMPUS AND ART PARK UNDER ONE ROOF

Lt. Gov. Anthony Endorses Job Creation and Economic Development at 232,000 sq-ft Maker-Economy, Light Industrial, and Cultural Destination in Metro Reno-Sparks

SPARKS, NV, UNITED STATES, February 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- During a Recognition Day ceremony at the 232,000-square-foot campus at 2450 Oddie Blvd. in Sparks, Nevada, The Oddie District was officially recognized as the world’s largest makerspace, innovation campus, and art park under one roof. The designation marks a major milestone in Nevada’s push to diversify its economy through creativity, advanced manufacturing, and the arts.

“The Oddie District is a place where people come to do things that are not only good for them, but good for the great state of Nevada,” said Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony. “This campus is already producing good jobs today and laying the foundation for better jobs tomorrow.”

“Today we celebrate more than a location. We celebrate the people who bring this space to life. Through the Office of Entrepreneurship housed within the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), we work to strengthen Nevada’s economy by helping entrepreneurs access the capital, resources, and networks they need to succeed,” said Melissa Saavedra, director of the Office of Entrepreneurship at GOED. “The Oddie District embodies exactly that vision.”

State, regional, and federal leaders joined for remarks and a tour of the facility. Speakers included representatives from the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, the city of Sparks, and the office of U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen.

The Oddie District, currently under construction and scheduled to open in phases throughout 2026, repurposes a former Lowe's building into a single, integrated campus that includes:

• 150,000 square feet of large and small offices, light industrial, innovation, education, and community spaces
• 62,000 square feet for The Generator Community Makerspace, one of the largest publicly accessible fabrication, art, and innovation community facilities in the world
• 20,000 square feet of outdoor art and event space

More than $32 million is being invested in the creation of the project. While construction continues, 22 businesses are operating onsite alongside more than 350 active members working in metal, robotics, woodworking, textiles, sculpture, and fabrication through the makerspace.

“The Oddie District, notwithstanding its name, is an institutionally underwritten real estate redevelopment project funded by pension fund capital investors and on that foundation it is so much more than that,” said Doug Wiele, founder and CEO of Foothill Partners Inc., project developer and creator. “It is a curated long-term investment in America’s emerging maker-economy, in people, in skills, and in building culture.”

The campus is designed to support research and development labs, artists, training centers, manufacturers, and startups, while also serving as a public destination for classes, exhibitions, and events. These uses will radiate around The Oddie Commons, a collection of local food and beverage uses fronting an idea-exchange setting of communal seating and local entertainment. The campus will play a central role in positioning Reno-Sparks as a hub for innovation, fabrication, and the creative economy.

“I remember Doug walking into my office and telling me he had a plan for the old Lowe’s building and asking if he could make it happen,” said Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson. “I looked at him and said, ‘You are exactly the person I’ve been waiting for.’ We pulled out the planning book and found a way to say yes. What emerged is a one-of-a-kind place for creating and making of every kind. The City of Sparks is proud to have you, and we look forward to even bigger and better things coming out of The Oddie District.”

About The Oddie District
The Oddie District is a 232,000-square-foot makerspace, innovation campus, and art park located in Reno-Sparks, Nevada. The project combines fabrication, education, entrepreneurship, and large-scale art within a single public-facing facility made up of small and large offices and is the largest single-building campus of its kind in the world.

About the Governor’s Office of Economic Development
Created during the 2011 session of the Nevada Legislature, the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) is the result of a collaborative effort between the Nevada Legislature and the Governor’s Office to restructure economic development in the state. GOED’s role is to promote a robust, diversified and prosperous economy in Nevada, to stimulate business expansion and retention, encourage entrepreneurial enterprises, attract new businesses and facilitate community development.

Nick Smoot
Oddie District
+1 310-426-8574
team@oddiedistrict.com
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