PHILADELPHIA — SkyREM has unveiled plans to redevelop Philadelphia’s historic Quartermaster site into the Quartermaster Science + Technology Park, a $250 million life sciences project. The development will include wet and dry lab space for both life sciences startups and established companies to conduct full-scale research and development, and bio-manufacturing. Plans also call for retail and restaurant space, a hotel and other amenities. Named the Schuylkill Arsenal when it was first built in 1800, the Quartermaster site provided the U.S. military with supplies and outfitted the Lewis and Clark expedition. Around the time of World War I, the facility was expanded to meet demand for uniforms and gear and was renamed Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot. The campus was again expanded during World War II. The clothing factory at the Quartermaster site officially closed in 1994 after operations were transferred to Northeast Philadelphia. The demolition of five original World War I warehouses took place in 1999. SkyREM purchased the campus in 2001 and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. Currently, the property serves as the headquarters for Indego bicycle transit and is home to other tenants in the healthcare and security sectors. The Quartermaster Science + …
Life Sciences
By Scott Dunwoody, Cushman & Wakefield It’s not too much of a stretch to say that St. Louis’ life sciences sector dates back to Lewis & Clark’s Corps of Discovery and all the scientific findings revealed upon their return to the city in 1806. More than two centuries later, St. Louis remains at the forefront of life sciences. The region is a center of plant science research and a cornerstone of global agriculture technology, with institutions such as Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) and St. Louis University playing critical roles in the biotech and medical fields. These factors translate into significant economic development benefits for the region and a positive impact on the area’s commercial real estate market. St. Louis is home to the largest concentration of plant scientist PhDs in the world. All that talent supports and drives more than 750 plant and medical science organizations across the region, including large employers such as Bayer (formerly Monsanto), Bunge, Benson Hill, IFF, Novus and Pfizer, and has led to significant investments throughout the region. What’s more, St. Louis ranks No. 14 nationally in National Institutes of Health funding, having secured more than $3.3 billion in the past five years. …
DURHAM, N.C. — Eli Lilly and Co., a pharmaceutical giant based in Indianapolis, plans to invest $450 million to expand its campus within Research Triangle Park (RTP) in Durham. The expansion includes additional parenteral filling, device assembly and packaging capacity to support an increased demand for the company’s incretin products that treat diabetes. The move is expected to create at least 100 new jobs, primarily comprising manufacturing personnel who will produce incretin treatments and medical devices. Eli Lilly expects the new facility to come on line in 2027. Since 2020, the company has committed roughly $4 billion to new manufacturing facilities in North Carolina, including $1.7 billion for the development and expansion of its RTP base.
BILLERICA, MASS. — Newmark has negotiated a 30,665-square-foot lease at Axis Park North, a six-building, 450,000-square-foot office and life sciences campus in Billerica, a northern suburb of Boston. Rory Walsh, Richard Ruggiero, Torin Taylor and Matthew Adams of Newmark represented the landlord, a partnership between Boston-based Camber Development and Wheelock Street Capital, in the lease negotiations. Kevin Kennedy and Tom Hovey of CBRE represented the tenant, ASMPT AEi, a provider of automated cameras and other digital technologies.
WALTHAM, MASS. — Alcresta Therapeutics, which develops enzyme-based treatments for rare diseases, has signed a 14,441-square-foot life sciences lease at 130 Turner Street, a 270,000-square-foot facility located in the western Boston suburb of Waltham. Matt Malatesta, Mike Frisoli, Tyler McGrail, Margaret Fee and Eric Jeremiah of Newmark represented the landlord, Jumbo Capital, in the lease negotiations. Ned Halloran and Connor Hayes of Hunneman represented the tenant
HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. — Affiliates of Apollo and GeneSuites are underway on the construction of Catalyst BioCampus, a 446,000-square-foot biomanufacturing development in Holly Springs, roughly 20 miles southwest of Raleigh. The development, which is scheduled for completion early this year, will be pre-equipped with mechanical, electrical and building infrastructure designed in accordance with Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) specific to biomanufacturing facilities. This design, branded High Performance Shell by GeneSuites, will support the acceleration of speed-to-market for biopharmaceutical companies by approximately nine to 15 months, according to CBRE|Raleigh. Lee Cllyburn John Hogan III of CBRE|Raleigh are handling leasing at the development.
WALTHAM, MASS. — Veeco, a New York-based manufacturer of semiconductors and electronics, has signed a 16,506-square-foot life sciences lease at 130 Turner Street, a 270,000-square-foot facility located in the western Boston suburb of Waltham. Matt Malatesta, Mike Frisoli, Tyler McGrail, Margaret Fee and Eric Jeremiah of Newmark represented the landlord, Jumbo Capital, in the lease negotiations. Malatesta also represented the tenant.
Cushman & Wakefield Brokers Sale of 438,144 SF Office Property in Charlotte, Buyer Plans Life Sciences Conversion
by John Nelson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged the sale of The Commons at the Park, an adaptive reuse campus located at 6800 Solectron Drive in Charlotte. The property comprises a 438,144-square-foot office building and two additional land parcels. The buyer, Albemarle U.S. Inc., a specialty chemicals company, will utilize the property as a lithium research and development center. Completion of the project, dubbed Albemarle Technology Park, is scheduled for late 2026. Keith Bell, Matt Treble, Dirk Riekse and Eric Sorenson of Cushman & Wakefield represented the buyer in the transaction. Jessica Brown, David Dorsch and Jordan Williams of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, a Shorenstein Properties entity doing business as 6800 Solectron Owner LP.
Gemini Rosemont Buys Peninsula Life Science Center in Burlingame, California for $59.3M
by Amy Works
BURLINGAME, CALIF. — Gemini Rosemont Commercial Real Estate has acquired Peninsula Life Science Center in Burlingame from Sansome Street Advisors and Gordon Brothers for $59.3 million in an all-cash transaction. The acquisition was fully funded in partnership with Gemini Investments, an investment company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Located at 1828 El Camino Real, the eight-story building features 65,804 square feet of office space. At the time of sale, the property was 98 percent leased and anchored by three life sciences tenants. Built in 1974 and most recently renovated in 2022, the property features floor-to-ceiling windows, an above-market parking ratio and a nearby BART train stop. Seth Siegel, Steve Hermann and Ryan Venezia of Cushman & Wakefield represented the sellers, while Gemini Rosemont was self-represented in the transaction. David Wilson, a property manager with Gemini Rosemont, will manage the asset.
ORANGEBURG, N.Y. — CBRE has brokered the $12 million sale of a 38,400-square-foot life sciences facility located at 25 Corporate Drive in Orangeburg, about 25 miles north of Manhattan. Charles Berger, Elli Klapper, Mark Silverman and Jeremy Wernick of CBRE represented the seller, an entity doing business as 25 Corporate Drive LLC, in the transaction. The team also procured the buyer, Solomon Builders, which acquired the property via a 1031 exchange. At the time of sale, the property was fully leased on a triple-net basis to Scapa North America, a subsidiary of global engineering firm Schweitzer-Mauduit International.