MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Business, academic and civic leaders gathered on Tuesday, September 20, to celebrate the grand opening of the first phase at Wexford Science + Technology’s new University of Miami Life Science & Technology Park (UMLSTP) in Miami’s Health District. The Park’s first phase is a 252,000 square foot building housing 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 is more than 60% leased.
“This is more than a building; this is a place where education, research and technology will intersect with discovery and innovation,” said University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala.
The UMLSTP’s growing tenant roster includes national and international companies, such as Ándago, a Spain-based information technology company; Raphael Capital Partners; Community Blood Centers of South Florida; medical device firm DayaMed; national intellectual property law firm Novak Druce + Quigg; the Enterprise Development Corporation of South Florida; Emunamedica LLC; the UM Tissue Bank; clinical research facility Advanced Pharma CR; Heat Biologics, Inc.; Classic Air Charter; Kaleidoscope; DemeRx; Florida’s bioscience industry association BioFlorida; SunDevice; and the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce. Retail tenants include Balan’s restaurant, the UPS Store, and Quantum Fitness.
Jim Berens, president of Wexford Science + Technology, the national real estate firm that developed phase one said, “While Wexford has developed similar projects across the country, we are particularly enthusiastic about entering the Miami market. The Park’s affiliation with the University of Miami, proximity to the hospitals in Miami’s Health District, and connectivity to Latin America and Europe give this project a leg up on other research sites.”
The UMLSTP master plan includes up to five buildings totaling roughly 1.6 to 2.0 million square feet of lab and office space, making it the largest of its kind in South Florida.
The Urban Land Institute’s South Florida/Caribbean Council recently awarded its ‘Project of the Year’ award in recognition of the project’s architectural design, role as an economic catalyst, and efforts to emphasize sustainable development. It is pre-certified as LEED Gold®.
To read the full release, visit http://www.miami.edu/index.php/news/releases/um_life_science_technology_park_celebrate_grand_opening/
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