A groundbreaking ceremony is set for July 19 as construction work gets underway to turn the former Sears building at 4201 Main St. into The Ion, a 270,000 square-foot facility envisioned as a anchor for the city's innovation district in a $110 million renovation effort, per state filings. The Rice Management Company, which manages the Rice University endowment, owns the property and is behind the project. Institutions including Rice, the University of Houston, UH-Downtown, the University of St. Thomas, Houston Community College, Texas Southern University, Houston Baptist University, San Jacinto College and the South Texas College of Law are expected to offer programming in the space, according to a news release. www.ionhouston.com