Countdown on for completion of Bruntwood SciTech’s £42m lab
GMI Construction is on course to complete the 125,000 sq ft Citylabs 4.0 in Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor next spring.
Bruntwood SciTech, the joint venture between Bruntwood, L&G, and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, recently saw the £42m Citylabs 4.0 top out and is on the hunt for occupiers.
The building, located off Hathersage Road, is the third in the Citylabs cluster – 1.0 and 2.0 are home to occupiers including Qiagen and Apis Assay Technologies, and have close links with Manchester NHS Foundation Trust and the nearby hospital.
Once complete, the seven-story lab will grow the amount of space at Citylabs from 192,000 sq ft to 327,000 sq ft. 4.0 will offer space to support companies working in precision medicine, including those in diagnostic, genomics, biotech, medtech, health-related AI, and digital health.
The scheme features infrastructure to accommodate containment level 2 biology and chemistry labs, and specialist equipment, including increased floor loading, enhanced cooling systems and ventilation provisions, and a large platform lift.
Shared breakout spaces, a 150-person event space, meeting rooms, cafes, and a supermarket also feature within the scheme.
Dr Kath Mackay, Chief Scientific Officer for Bruntwood SciTech, said: “To date, the Citylabs campus has helped to support hundreds of specialist healthcare businesses that are changing the face of medical science across the UK and beyond.
By creating a cluster of like-minded businesses all centred around one of the country’s most eminent teaching hospital Trusts, we have seen first-hand how the ability to collaborate and knowledge-share will drive forward innovations in medicine and healthcare.”
As well as GMI Construction, the project team for Citylabs 4.0 features architect Sheppard Robson, Arup, Hilson Moran, Gardiner and Theobald, and Layer Studio.
Anthony Judge, regional director for the North West at GMI Construction Group, said: “The topping out of Citylabs 4.0 marks a significant achievement for GMI and our delivery partners.
“This state-of-the-art facility is set to become a hub for innovation in precision medicine and life sciences and we are extremely proud to be part of a project that will drive advancements in healthcare diagnostics and treatments and foster collaboration between businesses and leading research institutions.”
The development is supported by a £32m senior loan from the North West Evergreen Fund, managed by CBRE’s Investment Advisory team, which is part of CBRE Capital Advisors.
