Early next year a new maker space called Generator will open in Burlington. The facility will have digital fabrication gear and other tools available to members who pay a monthly fee.
The space is being hailed by members of Vermont’s maker community and by educators who say it will be a tool for economic development.
Generator is scheduled to open in early February in Memorial Auditorium, an old, under-utilized building owned by the City of Burlington. The new maker space will not be charged rent but may have to vacate the premises as early as September. Another city-owned property in Burlington’s south end would be made available to the group.
“This space was not creating a lot of revenue for the city. And they agreed that if we can create an environment in here where it doesn’t cost them cash, we can utilize this space,” said Michael Metz, chair of the new maker space’s board of directors. He stood inside the 4,000 square foot facility and catalogued the resources that will be available to those who spring for the $100 a month membership.
Eventually, Generator will have metal working, woodworking and jewelry making tools and workspaces. Digital fabrication gear, including a 3D printer and scanner, a robotic milling machine. and a laser cutter will be available to members. Staff from the University of Vermont’s Instrumentation and Model Facility will help teach people how to use these machines.
“I see it as an economic development tool, I see it as a tool to help create jobs, I see it as a tool to help entrepreneurs and I see it as a tool to improve our community,” Metz said.
Metz has raised more than $150,000 for Generator. Some of that money came from Champlain College, which is opening a maker space of its own in the college’s Center for Emergent Media. The new Champlain College maker space is also slated to open in February and will boast high end 3D printers including one that makes metal objects. Champlain students will be allowed to use Generator’s facilities and Generator members will be welcome at the Champlain College maker space.
“We think manufacturing will return to the United States in force. The difference now between design and product is the push of a button and so we feel compelled to set this space up and begin to train the next generation on it,” David Finney, president of Champlain College, said.
Most maker or hacker spaces are democratically run non-profits. There are some for-profit maker spaces, including the TechShop chain, that are more geared towards business incubation. But Doug Webster, founder of the annual Champlain Mini Maker Faire in Shelburne, says helping small business start-ups shouldn’t be Generator’s only mission.
“The maker movement is about making and exploring and making mistakes and learning from them and the commercial part, I think, can occur and will occur but perhaps shouldn’t be the main focus of any maker space,” Webster said.
One man who is looking forward to the opening of Generator is John Cohn, a Richmond-based maker of high voltage devices who has worked at IBM for 32 years.
“We have a big mission around teaching and I’m as excited about learning as I am about teaching. You know, I’ll teach some but I’ve always wanted to do more jewelry making, for example, and more glass. I’m very excited about the different components and the different personalities in the different disciplines that are going to come through here,” Cohn said.
News of the soon-to be opened Burlington maker space has sparked interest in other Vermont communities. Plans are under way to organize maker spaces in Brattleboro, Bennington, Rutland, White River Junction, Lyndon and St. Johnsbury.
