City's emerging bioparks lining up tenants for newest research space
BYLINE: Sue Schultz
More than a handful of life science and biotechnology companies seeking space near Johns Hopkins Hospital and University of Maryland, Baltimore are taking a greater interest in the city's two newest biotechnology parks.
Within a few months, leaders of east and west Baltimore research parks say they could have a list of some of the new tenants that will move into the Life Science and Technology Park north of Hopkins hospital and the University of Maryland, Baltimore BioPark west of the school's campus.
As the Life Science and Technology Park completes work on its first building that will open by May 2008, at least one tenant has signed a letter of intent and several others could be signed shortly, said Matt Seward, a leasing and sales associate with Colliers Pinkard, one of the commercial real estate firms handling the project.
With 150,000 square feet available in the first building, Seward said there has been considerable interest. Johns Hopkins University will anchor the building with its Institute for Basic Biomedical Services. Over the next few months, Seward said he expects to announce a handful of other life sciences and biotech companies have signed on.
The building's 17,000 square feet of retail space has also attracted some attention. Although it won't start marketing the space until mid-May, Scott Levitan, senior vice president and development director for Forest City Science + Technology Group, the company developing the park, said there is interest from national companies and some local businesses.
Levitan said no leases have yet been signed, but that the development is looking for a coffeehouse, a fitness club, an urban grocery store and some restaurants and cafes with light fare.
Once completed with five buildings and 1.1 million square feet of space, the park could bring an additional 8,000 jobs.
"We will now be able to capitalize on the flow of federal research funding," said Jack Shannon, CEO of the East Baltimore Development Inc., a nonprofit organization looking to revitalize East Baltimore and sponsors of the community project. "By filling the first building we will create a critical mass."
Across town at UMB, a second building at the BioPark, slated to open in July 2007, also is lining up tenants. UMB's School of Public Health will move into the building along with the newly created Center for Genome Sciences.
At least six tenants are in lease negotiations with the UMB BioPark. Officials of the park said the names of those tenants could be released in a few months.