OLEAN, N.Y. — A developing North Union Street technology center is launching a Kickstarter campaign in its effort to bring a thriving tech sector to Olean.

Boundless Connections recently announced the first of what owners says will be several crowdfunding efforts to help make their vision of a $3 million technology center in downtown Olean a reality. The initial, modest campaign for $5,000 is meant not only to gain some cash flow, said co-owners Mike Marvin and Christina Lopez, but also become a way for residents to preorder memberships and create exposure for crowdfunding campaigns.

“Because so many people were asking to start getting memberships, I thought this would be a good opportunity to start letting people see what crowdsourcing looks like here in town for something here in town,” Lopez said.

Marvin and Lopez envision Boundless Connections as a 24/7 tech center for the community where high school students can foster their love of computers, the elderly can take a class on how to use their cellphones or professionals can stop in to check their email.

They’ve been acquiring equipment and renovating the former Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce building on North Union since they purchased it in September, and while they’ll have a grand opening March 15, they said their long-terms plans for the center — like a $3 million-a-year operating level, 25 employees and using multiple floors of the building — are still at least three years away.

“The first year is kind of just getting it up, getting the cash flow we need to have the people on hand to run the center and … we’ll be writing grant applications,” Marvin said. “By end of the third year we kind of hope we’ll be close to the point where we have all the pieces in place that we envisioned to begin with.”

The initial fundraising campaign, which can be found on crowdfunding website Kickstarter, is meant to help with that effort. Donors can make a wide range of pledges — from just $10 for admission into one of the center’s upcoming “tech talk” sessions, to several thousand-dollar corporate sponsorships. As of Saturday evening, 19 backers have raised $750.

The campaign is also meant to introduce Olean residents to crowdfunding and hopefully encourage similar efforts for local projects.

“Somebody who worked at the place that did the (Kickstarter) metrics knew about Olean and was like, ‘Glad to see Olean using Kickstarter,’” Lopez said. “So that was really neat to see.”

She and Marvin also hope Kickstarter’s global audience will help spread their tech center idea to others. They see Boundless Connections as a pilot program — if it’s successful in Olean, they want to take the concept to other cities.

“We don’t see … this as the only place that needs one,” Marvin said. “So once we get this place working and running smoothly, we see ourselves duplicating this in other places. So using Kickstarter and getting the information out on Kickstarter, and having a description of what we’re trying to do, begins to plant the seeds in people’s minds in other areas that this is something that’s doable and viable. … Maybe somebody in Rochester or Pittsburgh sees what we’re trying to do on Kickstarter and says, ‘Hey we could use that here.’”

While they hope their business model can be duplicated elsewhere, the co-owners said they’re also thinking about Olean’s long-term success, which they say is dependent upon having a tech sector. They hope Boundless Connections will begin to make Olean a city where tech startups can flourish and young people interested in technology fields can stick around.

“The big-picture level we’re looking at is trying to create an environment in Olean that is conducive to having a tech sector here, which needs a pipeline of young people coming through,” Marvin said. “We need to engage them, give them a series of activities and experiences that keeps them engaging with technology and makes them want to stay here once they’ve gone to college.”

Marvin and Lopez said they’ve already seen signs of Olean building a tech sector with local companies like 360RIZE, which develops 360-degree video technology, and even new North Barry Street escape room XPhobia.

“All the stuff that’s happening in Olean in terms of technology and just having options for people who come here — for us, that’s great,” Marvin said.