PHOENIX – On Thursday, the University of Arizona broke ground on its $136 million ($555 PSF) Biosciences Research Building at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. The 10-story project is located north of the existing Health Sciences Education Building near the northwest corner of 7th Street and Van Buren.
Construction and design of the 245,000-square-foot structure is expected to create 500 construction jobs and once complete 360 permanent jobs. It will take about 26 months to complete the project.
The UA Biomedical Building Phoenix is the fourth major construction in seven years on the Campus and will join the UA Cancer Center Phoenix at Dignity Health St. Joseph's 220,000-square-foot, 5-story building expected to open in 2015. The same team that designed and built that building is working on this project as well: CO Architects and Ayres Saint Gross as architects and DPR and Sundt Construction.
While Phoenix officials support this project and the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, they also are encouraging efforts to create a biosciences campus in north Phoenix, in conjunction with Arizona State University and Mayo Clinic Arizona that would create upwards of 30,000 jobs according to Phoenix Mayor, Greg Stanton.