The University of California Regents granted their approval for the ambitious Science Research Park development at UC San Diego today. According to UC San Diego News Center, this innovative project is destined to revolutionize research by fostering corporate, non-profit foundation, and academic partnerships. It aims to advance the university's research objectives, support commercialization, and provide students with valuable real-world challenges and experiences that prepare them for their future careers.
UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla is optimistic about the project and envisions the Science Research Park becoming the "epicenter of research development, innovation, and commercialization in the southwestern United States, attracting new thinking, ideas, and partners to the region."
The development, spanning over 23 acres, will see Wexford Science & Technology, LLC taking the lead in the project. The developer, known for its collaboration with universities and research institutions, will oversee the utilization of the 14-acre plot within the Science Research Park on UC San Diego's East Campus. This project is part of Wexford's ongoing commitment to creating innovation districts across the United States, with Science Research Park being the seventeenth of its kind.
The new Science Research Park will capitalize on the existing framework of successful innovation by focusing on technology, life science, and other sectors of research. It aims to bring together research companies, entrepreneurs, and researchers to create a thriving ecosystem that works towards improving human conditions and driving regional economic impacts. The tenant mix of the park will consist of diverse organizations, both for-profit and non-profit, research incubators, and accelerators.
Presently, Science Research Park houses important tenants such as the La Jolla Institute for Immunology and the Center for Novel Therapeutics. With the expansion and incorporation of new buildings, more than one million square feet of space will be dedicated to technology, life science research, offices, and convening spaces.
The park will offer open and accessible spaces like lobbies, plazas, parks, art-propped pop-up activations, and civic lounges to the community, allowing people to meet and connect. In addition, a range of free programs on entrepreneurial support, innovation challenges, and business growth will be accessible to the public. The park will also accommodate restaurants, retail spaces, meeting facilities, fitness centers, and two above-grade parking structures for tenants and visitors.
According to the project plan, the development will occur in two phases over the next decade. The first phase is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2024, encompassing Parking Structure One, the South Building, and the North Building. The second phase is slated for the second quarter of 2028, during which Parking Structure Two and the East Building will be constructed.
Furthermore, the Science Research Park will be located within walking distance from the Executive Drive and UC San Diego Health La Jolla stations of the UC San Diego Blue Line trolley. The project aims to maximize pedestrian connectivity within the site and to adjacent neighborhoods, with enhanced access to nearby transit options.
All future tenants of the Science Research Park would enjoy a wealth of alternative transportation incentives provided by UC San Diego. These benefits include subsidized transit passes and a free campus shuttle, more than 130 short- and long-term storage spaces for bicycles and micromobility devices, and access to the UC San Diego Health La Jolla trolley station via an express campus shuttle. The project will also realign Health Sciences and Medical Center Drives to make way for rideshare drop-offs and additional campus shuttle stops.
Underlining its commitment to sustainability, the Science Research Park targets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for its three main buildings and PARKSMART Silver certification for the two parking structures.
By augmenting UC San Diego's research capabilities and fostering interaction between academia and industry, the Science Research Park positions itself as an intellectual resource to attract and retain top researchers and scientists. Recently shortlisted for the Best Education and Higher Education P3 Award, the project highlights the crucial role top research universities play in driving innovation.
