“The overall objective is to build the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the university, encouraging student startups,” said Forrest Carter, associate professor of ?marketing and chair of the Broad College of Business undergraduate programs committee. “The innovation process tends to not always lie in one individual, but a collaboration between a number of people.”

Creating a space for ideas to collide is the goal, he said, comparing its concept to places like Google Inc., Facebook Inc. or Twitter Inc. offices.

Room C108 will undergo an extensive makeover, which is expected to include the demolition of existing exterior and interior walls, mechanical and electrical systems; new heating and cooling systems, audio and video technology, meeting and collaboration areas; and the relocation of the Wilson Hall Sparty’s Convenience Store.

The project recently was given an authorization to plan by the MSU Board of Trustees. Since the project is in its beginning stages, details on it what might look like are unavailable.

The project is expected to cost about $2.4 million, but could change as planning continues. The funding source will be the general fund of the university and the RHS auxiliary fund.

Vennie Gore, vice president for Auxiliary Enterprises, said the commons will be the beginning of the campus entrepreneurial ecosystem.

He cited the famous examples of Michael Dell and Mark Zuckerberg, who started Dell Inc.and Facebook Inc., respectively, in their college residence halls.

The commons also is a collaboration with Spartan Innovations, an organization that helps innovations of MSU students and alumni turn ideas into successful businesses.

Students can contact the organization to get help with startup funds, investments or to get advice from top officials.

Timothy Hinds, academic director of the College of Engineering CoRe Experience, said the commons will give students resources outside their classes and be a free-flowing area for ideas and students.

Wilson Hall is located on the corner of Chestnut and Wilson roads in the southwest corner of campus — out of the way for many students.

But, Hinds said he expects the space to be heavily ?populated once it’s established and students know about it.

“It had to be somewhere,” he said. “It’s a big campus, but it’s not that big.”

The project is expected to be mostly completed by fall 2014, but no date has officially been set, Hinds said.

Carter said getting students to use the facility won’t be left completely to chance. Interdisciplinary classes, like ones that include marketing and ?engineering students, will ?hopefully be expanded. Activities such as lectures and seminars also could be held in the space.

“If they’re not living in that area, that’s not a space they would normally frequent,” ?Carter said. “We’ll do things that will get students to frequent the space.”