After a comprehensive solicitation and selection process, UC San Diego has selected Wexford Science & Technology, LLC to develop the remaining 14 undeveloped acres within the 30-acre Science Research Park on the university’s east campus. Through a public-private partnership, Wexford will develop, finance, design, construct, own, lease and manage up to 850,000 square feet of new life science and technology research space within the park. Current Science Research Park tenants include La Jolla Institute for Immunology and the Center for Novel Therapeutics.
“Our goal is for Science Research Park to become the epicenter of research development and commercialization in southern California,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “The Science Research Park creates a vibrant environment for corporate and academic partnerships to advance research objectives, commercialization and provide students with real-world challenges and experiences that prepare them to contribute to the future workforce. Wexford has the reputation and experience and understanding to embrace the research and academic mission of the university.”
The continued development of the Science Research Park advances UC San Diego’s physical, cultural and intellectual transformation by pursuing architectural and design excellence, leveraging public transit and supporting the university’s sustainability goals. In creating a space that supports collaboration and innovation, gathering spaces will encourage socialization and include dining, recreation and spaces for curated programming that fosters a dynamic innovation destination.
Wexford Science & Technology has been selected as the master
developer for the remaining 14 undeveloped acres within the
30-acre Science Research Park on UC San Diego’s east campus.
Credit UC San Diego
In developing this research ecosystem, Wexford will employ their Knowledge Community model to create an environment that is designed and curated for collaboration among university researchers, corporate innovators, entrepreneurs, academics, artists and the community. This will help advance university initiatives, augmenting and enhancing UC San Diego’s instructional and research base, allowing students to learn from top industry scientists and attracting private industry tenants seeking joint research or other collaborative projects with the university.
“The further development of the Science Research Park is a catalytic opportunity,” said Wexford Executive Vice President Thomas Osha. “Not only for coalescing research, programs and companies around life science and technology, but also for sparking the creation of a larger innovation district that can attract new thinking, new partners and new ideas to the region.”
UC San Diego is a global research and academic medical powerhouse with more than $6.9 billion (FY22) in annual revenues and $1.64 billion (FY22) in sponsored research. As a billion-dollar research enterprise in the heart of one of the most densely concentrated innovation hubs in the nation, UC San Diego produces high-impact innovators who translate fresh ideas into solutions that benefit society.
UC San Diego is also among the top universities in the nation for startup creation, and to further foster innovation and spur future science and start-up investment, 15% of the new space within the park will be dedicated to smaller startup companies. The developer also has committed $5 million in early stage venture capital in support of pioneering researchers and technologies.
In the coming months, the master plan and building design for this
dynamic innovation destination will be advanced and reviewed through
a series of iterative design workshops. Credit ZGF Architects
For over sixteen years Wexford has been at the forefront of creating a new value proposition for fully integrated innovation districts, what they call Knowledge Communities, as primary drivers of economic development in many metropolitan regions. The Science Research Park will be Wexford’s seventeenth Knowledge Community developed in partnership and anchored by a leading university or research institution across North America. Presently, Wexford is located in key urban centers including Baltimore, Chicago, Durham, Miami, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Sacramento, Seattle and St. Louis.
Wexford’s unparalleled experience is enhanced by the impressive track record of the partners they bring to the project, which include ZGF Architects, Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects, landscape architects RELM, engineering firm Affiliated Engineers, general contractors Turner Construction and capital partner Ventas, Inc.
The project’s ground lease terms were presented to the University of California Regents for conditional approval in November. In the coming months, the master plan and building design will be advanced and reviewed through a series of iterative design workshops with campus stakeholders and the design review board. Master plan and building design with associated environmental compliance will be presented to the UC Regents for approval at a future date, anticipated to fall within the third quarter of 2023.
