Subsequent partnerships between the business, community, and the private sector resulted in groundbreaking for the center in late 2002, and its completion in 2003.
[citation needed] The 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2) facility was powered, in part, by a fuel cell and a micro turbine, which turned natural gas into electricity.
MAREC had 4,000 square feet (400 m2) of space devoted to incubating businesses that would research and develop alternative energy sources and uses.
Research and development initiatives was also intended to fuel business expansion at Edison Landing, the 32-acre (130,000 m2) SmartZone being transformed into a multi-use office, retail, and residential center.
Overall SmartZone development was expected to complement the array of human, physical, and capital investments made at MAREC.