SIRTI to Release Construction RFP's for $6 Million Wet Lab Technology Center in Downtown Spokane

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Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Despite having to go back to the drawing board for some design changes, the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute (SIRTI) plans on seeking construction bids in early October for its new $6 million Technology Center. The project calls for nearly 30,000 total square feet of space, housing laboratories, offices, and manufacturing space to be offered for lease to multiple commercial entities.

Planned as part of an effort to attract biotech companies to the area, which is known as the Riverpoint Higher Education Park, 12,000 square feet has been designated as wet lab space. Wet labs offer a secure environment, with specialized electrical systems, deionized water supplies, and ventilated air handling, all of which are needed in most aspects of pharmaceutical and biotech research.

Northwest Architectural Company (Spokane, Washington) designed the building and is now "tweaking" the plans in an effort to offset increased construction costs caused by steel, wood, and concrete price hikes. Money will most likely be saved by not finishing all interior spaces. The reconfiguration has pushed back the construction start of the project from September to November of 2004.

Funding for the $6 million project includes a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration. The balance will come from various sources, including private investors. SIRTI paid $850,000 for the purchase of the land site from Washington State University. SIRTI is actively seeking tenant companies from a wide range of the life science sector, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, and medical biotechnology, and estimates that the new center could eventually generate over 1,000 jobs.

Established in 1994, SIRTI is a state-funded economic development agency that advances the growth of emerging technology businesses in the Northwest. The current SIRTI building houses staff, tenant and client company office space, plus a full-service business incubator facility. It anchors the Riverpoint Higher Education campus, which includes extension branches of Washington State University and Eastern Washington University. Most of its client companies are entrepreneurial or university research-based ventures.

For information on this and many other life science companies, click the following link to view Industrialinfo.com's exclusive Pharma Tracker with our Pharmaceutical-Biotech Database featuring comprehensive plant profiles and project reports and be sure to check out the 2004 North American Pharmaceutical-Biotech Forecast (featuring 3Q04 update).