TEMPE, AZ—The city of Tempe is moving forward with agreement negotiations for the development of the city's first biomedical and technology campus on 18 acres of land west of the Tempe Center for the Arts . The property is located on Rio Salado Parkway, on a site that will require environmental remediation. Last week, the city council selected a partnership of three businesses to negotiate with the city on a development agreement. The selected development team–made up of The Boyer Company , SmithGroupJJR and Okland Construction –has proposed a phased project of five individual five- to eight-story buildings totaling approximately 1 million square feet, along with two parking structures with about 2,500 spaces. Donna Kennedy , Tempe economic development director, tells GlobeSt.com: “Bioscience and technology are two areas in which we see huge potential for growth in our region. We have already seen tremendous growth in the number of tech companies coming to Tempe in recent years. The addition of more facilities, more wet and dry lab space, will bring even more companies to our community, along high-paying jobs and research that can solve global issues.” It is proposed to include a restaurant, arts-related spaces such as rehearsal space and artist workspaces, and trails connecting to the arts center and Town Lake pathways. The development team and city of Tempe staff will begin crafting a development agreement, which will require approval by the Tempe city council. The development agreement could include the sale or lease of the land, among other provisions. Tempe's economic development team works to attract biomedical and technology businesses providing high-quality jobs and contribute to community quality of life. There are approximately 15,000 technology jobs in Tempe, paying an average of $95,000 annually. There is a high demand for research facilities and specialized lab spaces. Thousands of public and private sector scientists and engineers need lab space to advance science and technology in industries such as pharmaceutical, biomedical, manufacturing and biotechnology. “We are experiencing tremendous momentum in Tempe when it comes to attracting businesses that bring jobs and tax revenue used to maintain and improve the quality of life for our residents,” mayor Mark Mitchell said. “Companies are coming to Tempe because we have a skilled and diverse workforce, a great energy and a concentration of tech companies. The Tempe biomedical and technology campus will be an exciting, key addition to our mix of cutting-edge businesses that benefit our community and set Tempe apart.” Four proposals from four development teams were submitted as part of a request for qualifications issued by Tempe. The awarded team scored highest in an evaluation process based on experience, financial strength, project design and organizational capacity. “The Boyer Company and the members of our development team appreciate the opportunity to work with the city of Tempe. The project's close proximity to ASU, key Tempe employers, the airport and area freeways make this an ideal location. Our company is focused on developing projects that help build communities. This project has the potential to create a technology-focused area that will benefit the region," says Matt Jensen , partner and senior project manager for the Boyer Company. Arizona State University is also adding a building to its Biodesign Institute, which represents Arizona's single largest research infrastructure investment in the biosciences. This suite of interdisciplinary scientific research buildings works with companies and researchers to find solutions to global problems.

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Tempe Takes a Step Closer to Biomed Tech Campus

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