PHILADELPHIA, PA—Liberty Property Trust, which owns and manages more than 16 million square feet of office, flex and industrial space in the Greater Philadelphia region, has broken ground on its sixth flex building at The Navy Yard. When the building located at 4701 League Island Boulevard is complete in 2016, it will be the third facility to be occupied by WuXi AppTec, Inc. at The Navy Yard.

“Exactly one year ago, we gathered to celebrate the ground breaking of 4000 S. 26^th Street, a building in which WuXi will occupy 45,500 square feet,” says John Gattuso, Liberty Property Trust senior vice president and regional director. “For the last decade, WuXi AppTec has been a true partner every step of the way, and today breaking ground on this new building speaks to the strength of this partnership. We pledge to continue to meet their changing needs by developing first-class facilities and value their trust in us throughout the years as well as their overall show of commitment to Philadelphia and specifically The Navy Yard.”

Currently, WuXi AppTec leases 75,000 square feet of space in 4751 League Island Boulevard.  This summer it will expand its presence into 45,500 square feet in the recently finished building at 4000 S. 26^th Street.  WuXi AppTec's expansion represents the continued emergence of The Navy Yard as a magnet for life sciences companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Iroko Pharmaceuticals, Clinigen, Vincera Institute, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals and the Rothman Institute. 

“This facility will potentially be one of the largest facilities in the world for the GMP manufacturing of vectors and new cell- and gene-based medicines, such as CAR-T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and other devastating diseases,” says Felix Hsu, senior vice president of the US business unit, WuXi AppTec.  “We are very proud to build upon our relationship with Liberty and to continue to create an important center for the manufacturing of cell and gene therapies here in Philadelphia.”

With the completion of 4701 League Island Blvd., Liberty's flex portfolio at The Navy Yard will total 356,000 rentable square feet and will be 100% leased.  The building at 4701 League Island Blvd. will be the sixth flex building at The Navy Yard and the third flex building located in the Mustin Park district.  Designed by Environetics Design, the building will incorporate similar materials to WuXi AppTec's adjacent building at 4751 League Island Blvd. including the extensive use of cast stone with fields of warm brick and a 30' tall curtainwall.  In addition, the building will feature a minimum 37' clear height and vast loading capabilities.  As part of its work within 4701 League Island Boulevard, WuXi AppTec will construct a mezzanine structure throughout the facility to bring the building size to approximately 145,000 square feet.  The building is targeting LEED® Silver certification from the USGBC. 

“The Navy Yard continues to go from strength to strength and it is particularly exciting to see long-time residents expand and grow into new space,” says Mayor Michael A. Nutter.  “All across Philadelphia companies are investing in new facilities, growing their workforce and winning new business, which are all incredibly positive signs for our city.  Congratulations to WuXi, Liberty Property Trust and PIDC on this latest development at the innovation campus that is The Navy Yard.”

The Navy Yard is a 1,200-acre, dynamic urban development offering the Philadelphia region a unique and centrally located waterfront business campus committed to smart energy innovation and sustainability. The Navy Yard is home to more than 11,500 employees and 145 companies in the office, industrial/manufacturing, and research and development sectors, occupying seven million square feet of real estate in a mix of historic buildings and new high-performance and LEED-certified construction. PIDC, Philadelphia's public-private economic development corporation, is the master developer of The Navy Yard.

“As one of the first tenants at what is now a vibrant campus with a growing community of R&D companies, WuXi AppTec has always been at the forefront of innovation in Philadelphia,” says John Grady, president of PIDC. “The Navy Yard has been the perfect place for their continued growth and development, as evidenced by their move to this new building, which will house cutting-edge therapies. We are thrilled to join with our partners to break ground on this new building for WuXi at The Navy Yard.”