University of Miami's Life Science & Technology Park Completes Phase I Construction

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(MIAMI FL) -- The University of Miami Life Science & Technology Park (UM LSTP), a state-of-the-art research complex under development in Miami's Health District, reached an important milestone on September 8, 2010 when the superstructure of its first phase, R&D Building One, "topped off" construction at six stories.
 
Once completed in mid-2011, the 252,000 square foot building will house wet and dry labs, offices, lab-ready development suites, and retail space - all intended to help knowledge-based research and product development teams foster innovation and commercialize technology for public use and benefit.
 
The building's topping-off was celebrated on September 8 at the project site, an 8.8 acre parcel bounded by Interstate-95 on the east, NW 7th Avenue on the west, NW 17th Street on the south and NW 20th Street on the north. Officials from the University of Miami and the project's private developer, Wexford Science & Technology, signed a ceremonial steel beam to mark the completion of the building's exterior shell. Those on hand included: Jim Berens, President of Wexford Science & Technology; Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., dean of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Michael Katz, president of MAMCO, the University's real estate arm; University Provost Thomas LeBlanc; Joe Reagan, vice president of Wexford Science & Technology; and James Tien, Ph.D., dean of the University of Miami College of Engineering.
 
The UM LSTP's current master plan includes five buildings comprising between 1.6 and 2 million square feet of space. The project made headlines in June 2010 when it announced that the University of Miami would be leasing 80,000 square-feet of space in R&D Building One, making it the UM LSTP's first major tenant.
 
In addition to lab and office space, the park will contain restaurants and retail to serve the Miami Health District and residents of nearby neighborhoods. The development of the UM LSTP's first building is projected to create more than 1,150 direct and indirect jobs, with an additional 2,700-plus direct and indirect positions created by ongoing operations, according to a recent study by the Washington Economics Group.
 
Pre-certified as a LEED® Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) facility by the U.S. Green Building Council, R&D Building One has been designed in line with environmentally conscious factors intended to reduce energy use and improve environmental stewardship.
 
 

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