Newswise — A new era in Baltimore's biotechnology enterprise begins today with the official opening of the UMB BioPark on the west side of Baltimore. University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) officials are joined today by Gov. Robert Ehrlich, Rep. Elijah Cummings, Mayor Martin O'Malley, and 350 business and community leaders to open Building One, the first of 10 buildings planned for the BioPark.
Leveraging Baltimore's dominant position in academic health science research and development, the BioPark will help the state accelerate its drive to become an international leader in the bioscience industry.
"The UMB BioPark will commercialize biomedical technologies developed at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, expand Maryland's bioscience industry, and create more than 2,500 jobs and $300 million in capital investment," says University President David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil.
The UMB BioPark is being built on 10 acres of land in the 800 and 900 blocks of West Baltimore Street in the community of Poppleton. The BioPark's first building, at 800 W. Baltimore St., was developed by a team that includes Dennis Townsend of Townsend Capital of Towson, Md.; Willard Hackerman of Whiting-Turner of Towson, Md.; and Kenneth Banks of Banks Contracting Co., Inc. of Baltimore City. The state's Sunny Day fund provided $4 million in grants for tenants to customize their labs and offices in the first building. This first phase of the development is within a 4.7-acre property donated to UMB by the City of Baltimore. The Class A biomedical research building, suitable for biosafety level 1 and 2 labs, will generate 200 permanent jobs. Construction exceeded city and state goals for Minority Business Enterprise participation, and the building is LEED-certified for its energy efficient and environmentally friendly design. A 638 car parking garage is on site for building tenants and customers. "Less than two years ago, this was an empty field," Ramsay says of the site on which Building One is located. "Now, we are flanked by $50 million of new capital investment."
The Poppleton community's support for the BioPark has been outstanding. "We are welcomed into the homes and churches and village centers, and our project is very well received," says Jane Shaab, senior director of business development in the University's office of research and development. The developers will contribute nearly $30,000 per year to the community, and tenants are working with city and state agencies to hire community residents.
The medical breakthroughs being pursued in Building One are as important as the investment and jobs being created there. One hundred faculty researchers are working on new ways to treat cardiovascular disease. The School of Medicine Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases occupies two floors of the BioPark's first building.
Private biotech companies locating in Building One are making advancements in treating celiac disease, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, and cancer. Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories (SNBL), the BioPark's largest private company, is investing $20 million to establish a clinical pharmacology center to conduct Phase I clinical trials on behalf of pharmaceutical and biotech companies. SNBL chose the UMB BioPark because of the University of Maryland, Baltimore's significant resources. Faculty, many of whom have extensive experience in international drug development, will serve as consultants on the clinical trials conducted by SNBL.
"SNBL is fortunate to have such a formidable partner as the University of Maryland, Baltimore," says Ryoichi Nagata, MD, PhD, chief executive officer of the SNBL Group. "SNBL is eager to create job opportunities and advance medical research in the greater Baltimore area."
Alba Therapeutics, a UMB-based start-up company developing therapeutics for celiac disease and diabetes, will have a 12,000-square-foot suite of labs and offices in Building One. In August, Alba raised $30 million in private equity financing to bring research developed at UMB into clinical trials. UPM Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an established drug delivery and contract drug manufacturer founded by UMB, will locate executive offices on the first floor of Building One.
Other tenants include the Miles & Stockbridge law firm, which will locate its life science practice in Building One. The University of Maryland School of Law will provide free legal assistance to technology companies through its Intellectual Property Legal Resource Center. The Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program, a program based at the University of Maryland, College Park that provides matching grants to companies sponsoring research at Maryland campuses, also will have an office in the BioPark. Harbor Bank of Maryland, Baltimore's largest minority-owned bank, has opened the first commercial bank branch in the neighborhood in 15 years.
A second building with 170,000 square feet is planned for 801 W. Baltimore St., directly across from Building One. The Maryland Forensic Medical Center will occupy a third, 120,000-square-foot building in 2009. When complete, the UMB BioPark will include 10 buildings containing 1 million square feet of research space, says Jim Hughes, MBA, the University's vice president for research and development. Three parking garages for 1,800 cars, plus retail space and landscaped parks to serve BioPark tenants and community residents, are planned.
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