The former Goodwill Industries complex in the Central West End is under renovation and is being revitalized as a startup hub called Catalyst: Powered by WashU.
The facility on Forest Park Avenue closed in 2019 and was purchased by Washington University. The building served as Goodwill headquarters from 1944 until the sale in 2019 — and it’s still listed on the National Register of Historic Places for the role it previously played as a hub for Goodwill.
Now, the historic facility will serve as a support hub to nurture growth and expansion-stage bioscience startups by providing lab and office spaces, and other critical support. It’s expected to be 163,000 square feet and will also serve as a graduation space for startups.
Doug Frantz, vice chancellor of innovation and chief commercialization at WashU, said the reimagined hub will help boost the economy and innovation ecosystem in St. Louis.
“This space is for startup companies to expand their footprint within St. Louis, to really be able to expand capacities and the technologies they are developing,” Frantz said. “It's a space that St. Louis has been desperately needing for a very long time. … It will lower the barrier for mid- and late-stage startups to find the space, resources and community that will accelerate their breakthroughs to market.”
C2N Diagnostics is poised to be the first occupant by late 2026. The company develops diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
C2N CEO Joel Braunstein said they’re excited to be the anchor tenant for the revitalized building in the Cortex Innovation District. The company is leasing 82,451 square feet of the building for its corporate headquarters.
“We’re confident this new location will allow us to support additional health-care professionals and patients in the U.S. and around the world,” Braunstein said in a statement.
Design and engineering firm HOK is serving as Catalyst’s architect, and its general contractor is the Tarlton Corp.
WashU officials say real estate developer BOBB LLC, an affiliate of WashU, is collaborating with key stakeholders on the $100 million revamp. Renovations also include a four-story addition to the seven-story midcentury building.
