500,000-square-foot life science campus coming to Jefferson Technology Park | Economy & business

“There’s a very strong need within the life sciences market for collaboration between research and development in production,” Fischer said. “Jefferson Tech Park could not be a more perfect setting for bringing science and innovation interconnected with production.”

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development was thrilled when Trammell Crow reached out last winter to outline its vision for the biology campus, said Helen Propheter, the executive director of the office.

The project, which will provide a location for life science companies looking to stand up facilities along the Interstate 270 corridor, will add to the momentum building in the county with development in this field, Propheter said.

Jefferson Technology Park, at the intersection of I-270 and I-70, is a “stone’s throw” from Fort Detrick, she said.

Frederick County is also home to the National Cancer Institute and private sector companies such as AstraZeneca, Kite Pharma, Thermo-Fisher Scientific and — most recently — Ellume, an Australian-based biopharmaceutical company that opened a facility in Frederick last month.

The development’s proximity to these companies was one reason why Trammell Crow selected Jefferson Technology Park as the location for its new life science campus, Fischer said.

Jefferson Technology Park is also a few minutes from Carroll Creek Garage, Fischer said, meaning employees can easily access the wineries, restaurants, event spaces and everything else the city has to offer.

“That’s why we chose this site over other locations,” Fischer said. “That’s what we’re most excited about.”

Trammell Crow was also drawn to Frederick because of its experienced employee base and business friendly leadership in the county and the city, Fischer said.

With the support of these officials, Trammell Crow will have facilities ready for biotherapeutics and biodiscovery companies to start producing pharmaceuticals in the next 12 to 18 months, he said.

The developer is already talking with companies interested in locating at the campus, although the talks are confidential, Fischer said. The facilities on Jefferson Technology Park are designed to accommodate one or multiple companies, he said.

Propheter said her office thinks The Labs at Jefferson Tech Park will be an “easy sell” to life science companies.

The economic development office will be headed to San Diego this summer to promote Frederick County as a location for life science innovation at a biotechnology conference, Propheter said. The staff plans to highlight Jefferson Technology Park as a leading location for companies to consider.

Plans for Jefferson Technology Park, a mixed-use community just outside the city of Frederick’s boundaries, have been in the works for several years, Propheter said.

The county has worked with developers over the last seven years to bring housing to the community, including single-family houses, townhouses and condos. Retail is also planned for the area, Propheter said.

Trammell Crow is working with Principal Real Estate Investors on the project. Frank Graybeal and Kevin Reap of real estate company CBRE are handling the development’s marketing and leasing, according to information from the developer.

The project’s laboratory space is being built to Biosafety Level 2, which can accommodate the “vast majority of uses,” Fischer said. This level of containment is equipped for handling experiments with agents of “moderate potential hazard” to personnel and the environment, according to Boston University.

Once finished, the Jefferson Technology Park project will have loading docks, a co-working space, conference rooms, a fitness center, walking trails, outdoor green space, a cafe and employee parking.