Scottsdale extends $3M to TGen to build lab at Mayo

The Scottsdale City Council has unanimously approved plans to partner with the Mayo Clinic and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) to build a 100,000-square-foot biomedical facility on Mayo's campus at 13400 E. Shea Blvd.

"This is such a medical coup for Scottsdale," Councilwoman Roberta Pilcher told the Arizona Republic. "We can be nothing but proud and happy."

According to the Republic, one-quarter of the building will house TGen's Center for Translational Drug Development, with the rest of the space to be used by Mayo or leased to other companies.

The facility will be one more step in addressing the lack of laboratory space currently hindering Arizona's attempts to attract biotech businesses, and could act as a catalyst for biotech development in the city. In particular, it could become a center of gravity for future biotech construction on the Mayo campus, which currently has room for 10 to 20 additional research buildings.

"Truly we are, as a region, in competition with other regions like San Diego, the Bay area, Seattle," said Phoenix Vice Mayor Greg Stanton. "We have to create a cluster of bioactivity in the Valley for this entire endeavor to be successful. This is great for all of us."

TGen asked Scottsdale to contribute $3 million to the $25 million project. The investment will be repaid with interest by TGen over seven years.

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For more information:

"Scottsdale offers TGen $3 million," The Arizona Republic, 12/10/2003

"Scottsdale lands major TGen lab," The Arizona Republic, 12/05/2003

"Hot Deal for Biotech," The Arizona Republic, 12/05/2003