The city of Los Angeles is planning to donate rent-free space to the recently launched Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute.

“The city owned property on 411 N. Vermont St. will be re-purposed to build out a 75,000-square-foot complex,” said Adrienne Lindgren, manager of Business Development at the mayor’s office. “It’s currently a 10,000-square-foot place, right now it’s admin but with the build out it’ll be a place for incubation, work training, and showcasing demos.”

The building currently houses one of five parking enforcement offices for the city.

The space will be used on a five year term with the option to renew and was funded entirely through donations to the city, added Lindgren. The donation amount is undisclosed.

The Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition was the recipient of a $70 million government grant last summer. It is through this grant that the institute was launched.

“The winning coalition, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, brings together a consortium of nearly 200 partners from across academia, industry, and non-profits – hailing from more than thirty states – to spur advances in smart sensors and digital process controls that can radically improve the efficiency of U.S. advanced manufacturing,” the official White House press release said.

The institute, which had its official kick-off event yesterday at the University of California, Los Angeles, is partnered with the Department of Energy and with public-private investment partners such as universities and manufacturers. It has a total of $140 million at its disposable. It plans to offer workforce training, research development, and test space for projects as well as streamlining access to manufacturing data to its partners and members.

Manufacturing and trade reporter Shwanika Narayan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @shwanika.