Tag Archives: Medical

World’s Largest Gene and Cell Therapy Facility Planned in PA

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Plans are underway for Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CMB), a 680,000 square-foot gene and cell therapymanufacturing facility at the Discovery Labs in Upper Merion Township, PA. CBM would be the largest gene and cell therapy manufacturing facility in the world. The $500 million Discovery Labs include customizable lab space. The campus, which is being used by some companies during renovations, is expected to add a hotel for visiting scientists and medical collaborators, as well as a restaurant and other amenities.

Used for research, development, and commercialization of therapies, the ambitious CMB requires $1.1 billion in funding. When the plan was announced, some believed raising that amount of money was unrealistic, but there will no doubt be more interest in medical research and development thanks to the novel coronavirus pandemic. And the interest and need for such work will require more facilities.

The CBM will be built in the former GlaxoSmithKline lab space. Plans call for the hiring of 2,000 people over the next two and a half years.

New Valley Hospital Starts Construction

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After years of battling with residents over the proposed expansion of the current Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, the New Valley Hospital broke ground this month at its Paramus site.

A parade of politicians, shovels in hand, spoke at the ceremony, touting the future of the area’s healthcare system with the coming state-of-the-art, 372-bed facility. Construction on the 910,000-square-foot facility is expected to take more than three years. It will be a green building, that ranges from three to seven stories and rooftop gardens.

Along with the hospital building, there will be a five-story parking garage with more than 430 spaces. Twenty percent of the 28-acre site will be dedicated to open, green space.

The project is expected to create 600 construction jobs and cost $800 million.

Across the street from Valley’s cancer and same-day surgery center, the New Valley Hospital is scheduled to open in 2023. Once it does, the current hospital will provide outpatient services, including operating an urgent care center. The North Van Dien Avenue location could become the site of affordable housing in the future.

The Next Great Hope, Again: Nassau Hub

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While the debate continues on the loss of Amazon  headquarters from Long Island City—best or worst thing to happen to New York and who gets the blame or the credit?—out on Long Island, politicians are pushing the Nassau Hub as the next great, transformative project in the tri-state area. Of course, we’ve heard it all before about this 77-acre site surrounding Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, where attempts to develop residential, commercial and industrial-use space around the arena have failed repeatedly for various reasons over the years.

But there is new cause for hope that things will truly move forward this time as Governor Andrew Cuomo recently added $40 million in state funds, earmarked for three pedestrian bridges and to help Northwell Health build a medical research center (the “innovation center”), that will include laboratory and educational space. That money is in addition to the $85 million already coming from the state for parking garages.

As the developers attempt to move things forward and local politicians promote the possibilities of Nassau Hub, the Coliseum has been hosting concerts and the NHL’s Islanders have returned to play a portion of this season and next season’s games as they wait for a new arena to be completed at Belmont Park. (The team had left the outdated venue for Brooklyn.) With the Islanders doing well this year and big names like Billy Joel and Elton John booking shows, more people have been brought back to the area.

Developers continue to face resistance from nearby residents, however, who recently voiced concerns about the $1.5 billion plan to build office, retail, restaurant, and entertainment space, along with the medical and biotech research center and 500 units of housing. They were given permission to draft a site plan but must enter a project labor agreement with local building trade councils, as well as providing quarterly updates to the legislature and holding regular public meetings.

Should things work out this time and move forward, Phase I of the project, which includes the construction of the two state-funded parking garages with 3,400 spaces, the Northwell Health Innovation Center and half of the housing and entertainment units, is contingent on county legislative approval. Pending that approval, it is expected to begin within 24 months with anticipated completion by 2022.