Phase one of the project will commence in the spring
By SHRADDHA JHINGAN — city@theaggie.org
On Feb. 16, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for Aggie Square in Sacramento, according to an article from UC Davis. Over 200 people were in attendance for the event.
“Aggie Square is where university, industry and community come together to create opportunities for everyone,” Aggie Square’s website reads. “This planned innovation hub on UC Davis’ Sacramento campus — the result of joint exploratory working group established by Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and UC Davis Chancellor Gary May — will be home to research programs, private industry partners, classrooms, student housing, and public-facing programs that engage local communities and entrepreneurs.”
Aggie Square was the result of a collaboration between UC Davis, project developer Wexford Science & Technology and the City of Sacramento. The groundbreaking ceremony revolved around the theme of collaboration, with Mayor Steinberg and other elected officials attending to celebrate the event, according to the article.
“This journey has taken a village and it’s really exciting today to have so many of our partners and supporters here with us,” Chancellor May said during the groundbreaking ceremony. “Probably the most important partner I’ve had for these five years has been Mayor Darrell Steinberg and the City Council Members Schenirer and Guerra who support him.”
Chancellor May added that in addition to Mayor Steinberg, Senior Vice President Doug Woodruff of Wexford Science and Technology, various elected officials and people in support of UC Davis also attended.
Steinberg expressed similar sentiments. He highlighted the benefits of the Aggie Square project, such as creating new jobs for the community.
“I’m proud that our city has partnered with both UC Davis and our community to make Aggie Square a reality,” Steinberg said according to a UC Davis Health article. “We are creating an economic center with thousands of new jobs, and the people in our neighborhoods will be the primary beneficiaries. Aggie Square stands as an example of what is possible.”
In 2020, UC Davis stated in a video that experts in the fields of business, policy, healthcare, education and agriculture would be working together to introduce new ways of creating eco-friendly, accessible and healthy food systems. This was announced to be a collaborative effort with Alice Waters, founder of The Edible Schoolyard Project and owner of Chez Panisse. Waters highlighted how food has the ability to unite people.
“Food can be so powerful in reaching people and bringing them together with other people — how we can change the world,” Waters said in the video.
According to the UC Davis Health article, phase one of the Aggie Square project will begin construction this spring. Phase one of construction entails a Lifelong Learning Building, which contains space for public programs and classrooms. There will also be another two buildings for technological, scientific and engineering purposes.
Undergraduate students also have the option to spend a quarter at Aggie Square by participating in a program called Quarter at Aggie Square, which started in Fall 2020. Students will have the opportunity to learn about different fields, which include biomedical engineering and educational and health equity, according to the Quarter at Aggie Square website.
“Quarter at Aggie Square lets you engage with Sacramento in a way that enhances your education with practical experience and community engagement,” the website reads. “Spend a quarter with a small group of fellow students and dedicated faculty in a focused learning environment that includes classes and an internship or research.”
Mayor Steinberg highlighted how Aggie Square was ultimately the result of a collaborative effort. In addition, Steinberg stated that Aggie Square could be an example for the rest of the country.
“[…]We did it together, and we did it in the right way,” Mayor Steinberg said in the groundbreaking ceremony video. “We did it with the community, we did it in collaboration and we did it in a way that will be a model for the rest of the country.”
Written by: Shraddha Jhingan — city@theaggie.org
