Construction Begins in Saint Louis on $35 Million CORTEX Biotech Building

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). A three-story, 165,000 square foot state-of-the art lab building will soon rise on the former industrial site of the Markwort Sporting Goods factory in Saint Louis, Missouri. CORTEX, the Center of Research Technology and Entrepreneurial Expertise, chose the Forest Avenue location as the site for the first in series of planned biotech buildings.

CORTEX evolved in 2002, as part of a plan, spearheaded by Dr. William Danforth, to develop a biotech corridor in the city of Saint Louis. The area is rich in research resources, as it is home to such renowned institutions as St. Louis University, Washington University, and the Danforth Center. John Dubinsky is the head of CORTEX, which is a partnership between Washington University, Saint Louis University, the Missouri Botanical Garden, Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. CORTEX has received a promise of $29 million in funding from the partnership's members, over the next five years. Other funds include $2.9 million in federal economic development assistance funds, which were awarded last year to help create jobs in the biotech corridor.

While the area does have a number of university laboratories and incubator space, there is a lack of sufficient wet lab and office space for lease to growing companies that are not quite ready or willing to build their own. CORTEX also owns or controls a number of other sites throughout the area, with an eye towards future development.

Designed specifically for the needs of biotech companies, the building's floor slabs are designed to meet increased vibration loads for vibration sensitive equipment. HVAC systems will provide chilled and hot water loops for heating and cooling, and the HVAC design also meets the "one-pass" air laboratory requirements. A centralized exhaust system will accommodate laboratory hoods. Also included are potable and non-potable water systems, laboratory gas, and vacuum and compressed air systems.

Clayco Construction Company (Saint Louis, Missouri) is managing construction of the building, which was also designed by their architectural collaborative, Forum Studio. Helmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK) (Saint Louis, Missouri) acted as design consultant for the project, which should be open by the end of the year.

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