Ignite offers co-working spaces, conference room rentals, business assistance, and podcast recording services. From a vacant fire hall to an inspiring business hub, Ignite was founded by the Chamber and Development Council of Crawford County.

Our Story & Community Benefits

The original 1951 Denison Fire Hall was a point of community pride, protecting lives and property investments for decades. Over time, larger facilities were needed and the space was converted to a community room. Eventually, it was vacated, creating a bit of an eyesore for our thriving Uptown. Now the space once again serves a critical function and generates community pride.

✔ From vacant to visionary

✔ Business Creation Hub

Denison has a strong history of growing things ourselves. The vast majority of businesses that shape today’s local economy started right here with good ideas and strong community support. Ignite creates a program that inspires, guides, and grows novel startup businesses into the next generation of area employers. It’s more than real estate — it’s on-site professional guidance and a supportive ecosystem of like-minded startups.

✔ Community development HQ

The Chamber & Development Council (CDC) has assisted businesses large and small with hundreds of millions of dollars of investments in our communities. The new offices provide a higher level of professionalism for the CDC to host potential investors and to sell Crawford County as a cutting-edge location to grow their business.

✔ New tax and utility revenue

Civic structures are excellent when they are in use, but vacant? They drain community budgets and, of course, they don’t generate taxes or pay for utilities. For the first time in history, this property will create property tax and utility revenue that will help improve other parts of the community.

We’ve seen it across the county many times before — when one property sees major improvements, the neighbors begin to take notice. Eventually, nearby properties are driven to make improvements of their own. Ignite, following the historic renovation of Denison City Hall, is a significant turnaround in neighborhood appearances. Investment begets investment. We can’t wait to see what happens across the rest of the area.

✔ Spinoff development

2022 marked the 100th anniversary of the CDC, and for the first time in our history, we own our own offices. If we can quickly eliminate all project debt, this sets up the CDC for a very stable and bright future. A strong Chamber is at the heart of a strong community, able to take on bigger and more impactful projects to benefit our surrounding communities.

✔ An investment in our future

Progress Gallery

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Our Ignite Partners

We are so grateful for each and every community partner who has gotten us this far. These organizations believe in a thriving entrepreneur-driven economy in Crawford County and they believe in the mission of the Chamber & Development Council. Please help us thank these wonderful community partners.

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