West Ridge Mall is next

Oh, sure, let's dive into this glorious saga of Topeka's "innovation" efforts, where public dollars vanish into the pockets of the well-connected faster than a bad idea in a boardroom. Because nothing says "fiscal responsibility" like pouring millions into Version 1.0, watching it flop spectacularly, and then doubling down on Version 2.0 with even more taxpayer cash handed over to chamber cronies. Follow the money, indeed—it's like a breadcrumb trail leading straight to the same old insiders' feast. But hey, who needs balanced budgets when you've got shiny hubs for "startups" that might employ a handful of people while the city scrambles for $15 million just to keep the lights on? Let's compare and contrast these two gems, shall we?

The Epic Fail: Innovation Center 1.0 at the Former Wolfe's Camera Building

Ah, the original ASTRA Innovation Center—announced with all the fanfare of a taxpayer-funded fireworks show back in 2021. GO Topeka swooped in on the historic Wolfe's Camera Shop at 635 S. Kansas Ave. (a beloved 97-year-old staple that shuttered just months before, because why not repurpose a local icon into a money pit?). They hyped it as a $14.5 million marvel, partnering with some California outfit called BioRealty to transform it and two adjacent buildings into a hub for innovators, complete with labs, co-working spaces, and dreams of attracting tech whiz kids to downtown Topeka.

But reality hit like a dropped camera lens. By 2022, they were giving "sneak peeks" of the renovations, but the whole thing never really took off. Plans "fell through" amid vague excuses—maybe low usage, maybe overambitious scope, or perhaps just the classic mismatch between hype and actual demand in a city where "innovation" often means repackaging the same old economic development schtick. Fast-forward to 2025, and the building's back on the market for $2.85 million, sitting empty like a forgotten film roll. Investment? A cool chunk of that $14.5 million evaporated into thin air, courtesy of JEDO sales tax funds. Outcomes? Minimal job creation, no game-changing startups, and a big fat "what was that all about?" from locals. It was small-scale (just a few buildings' worth of space), underutilized, and ultimately abandoned because, apparently, Topeka's entrepreneurial spirit couldn't fill even that modest footprint. A true testament to throwing good money after bad— or should I say, our money.

The Shiny Sequel: Innovation Center 2.0 (Link Innovation Labs) at the Former AT&T Building

Enter the "upgrade" in late 2024: GO Topeka pivots to the old AT&T call center at 220 SE 6th St., rebranded as the Link Innovation Center. Owned by AIM Strategies (those savvy developers co-founded by Cody Foster of Advisors Excel fame—because of course it's an inside job), this one's triple the size at around 18,000 square feet on the first floor alone, with wet and dry labs, pitch rooms, phone booths, and all the bells and whistles to make it sound like Silicon Valley's distant cousin. Groundbreaking in June 2025, grand opening in February 2026, and voilà—another $15 million project, including that infamous $9.5 million "gift" from GO Topeka's coffers (again, your sales taxes at work).

Supposedly, it's bigger and better to accommodate more "plug and play" accelerators, events, and talent attraction. They claim it'll create jobs and revitalize downtown, but let's be real: it's essentially subsidizing a private landlord with public funds while the city manager whines about a $15 million shortfall. Connections? Oh, plenty—AIM's ties to the Greater Topeka Partnership board scream favoritism, where chamber members and GO Topeka insiders pat each other on the back and pass around the JEDO pot like it's their personal slush fund. Stinks to high heaven? Absolutely, like a deal marinated in cronyism and sprinkled with excuses about "economic growth." Sure, it might host a few events or startups, but at what cost? More than the original flop, with less accountability.

Side-by-Side Smackdown: Compare and Contrast

• Size and Scope: 1.0 was a cozy, historic rehab—charming but cramped, meant for basic co-working and innovation vibes. 2.0? Supersized corporate makeover, with fancy labs and room to grow (or echo emptily, depending on turnout). Advantage: 2.0 for ambition, but 1.0 at least tried to preserve local history instead of just slapping "innovation" on a bland office building.
• Investment and Funding: Both sucked from the same sales tax teat via GO Topeka/JEDO, but 1.0's $14.5 million promise fizzled, while 2.0's $15 million (including $9.5M direct to AIM) feels like overkill. Sarcasm alert: How generous of our "leaders" to escalate the spending after the first failure—because if at first you don't succeed, throw more of our money at your buddies!
• Outcomes and "Success": 1.0 crashed and burned—plans collapsed, building sold off, minimal impact. 2.0 is too new to judge, but if history's any guide, it'll be hailed as a win by the chamber crowd while quietly underperforming. One's a proven dud; the other's a potential sequel flop in the making.
• Favoritism Factor: 1.0 involved out-of-town partners (BioRealty), but still smelled of insider dealing. 2.0 takes it up a notch with local heavy-hitters like AIM Strategies directly benefiting—oh, the sweet aroma of public-private "partnerships" where the public foots the bill and private pals reap the rewards. It's not corruption; it's just "business as usual" in Topeka, where board members gift each other our dough like it's Christmas every day.
• Why the Move?: Officially, for more space and better facilities after 1.0 didn't cut it. Unofficially? Because why fix a failure when you can abandon it and start fresh with even more largesse to the elite? It's like upgrading from a lemon car to a luxury SUV, all on the taxpayer's dime.

In the end, this whole charade highlights how Topeka's government bends over backward for the chamber elite while the rest of us deal with crumbling infrastructure and budget woes. If this deal doesn't reek of favoritism gone wild, I don't know what does—maybe they should rename it the "Crony Capital Center." Got more dirt on this, Henry, or want to rant about the next "innovation" boondoggle?

This is where you insert the Hotel Topeka article.