The backers and builders of a £30m life sciences facility – being constructed with the aid of a £6.5m grant from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership – visited its construction site today (October 7).
The five storey extension to the highly successful BioCity complex is under construction next door to it, at Plough Lane, just off Nottingham city centre.
Nottingham City Council is funding the development, with the help of D2N2’s £6.5m grant. The extension is being built by contractors Willmott Dixon, to a design by Nottingham architects CPMG, with company Gleeds as project and cost manager.
The building will be operated by BioCity Group Ltd. Sygnature Discovery , currently based in the Laurus building at BioCity, will take up 30,000sq ft of the 50,000 sq ft available; freeing up incubator space for new life sciences companies in the existing building.
Today, backers of the major project toured the site, to see progress. D2N2 LEP Board Member Peter Gadsby, who has been closely involved in the BioCity project, is pictured below onsite (centre) with (left) Nick Heath, Operations Director at Wilmott Dixon, and Nottingham City Council Leader Cllr Jon Collins (right).
The building is due to be completed by spring 2017. It is expected to safeguard around 250 specialist bioscience jobs, with 700 more created over a 30 year period.
Life sciences is one of the eight key economic sectors identified in D2N2’s strategy to grow jobs in the area; sectors where the D2N2 LEP believes its area of Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire already has an advantage or has the capacity to develop one.
Peter Gadsby, D2N2 LEP Board Member, said: “It was very pleasing to come to the BioCity site today and view the progress. The BioCity project is a real opportunity to emphasise the D2N2 area’s growing reputation in the life sciences sector, in its making available fresh incubator space for new companies to come forward.”
Councillor Jon Collins, Leader for Nottingham City Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategic Regeneration, added: “This is a significant development because not only will it cement our position as the UK’s fastest growing life science community, bringing new investment and job opportunities in one of our key growth sectors, but it will also help to regenerate the east side of the city and bring job opportunities during its construction.”
The extension building will be designed to achieve a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) ‘excellent’ rating.
For more information about BioCity see its website HERE.
To learn more about how the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership is investing in its area see the details of its Strategic Economic Plan.
Media needing further information about the work of the D2N2 LEP can contact D2N2 Communications Officer Sean Kirby on 0115 9578749 or email: sean.kirby@d2n2lep.org
