Rover Diagnostics has locked down the last open lab at Innolabs, the life-sciences conversion at 45-18 Court Square in Long Island City. The lease fills one of Queens' largest purpose-built lab campuses and puts the diagnostics startup just steps from NYU Langone's growing research footprint in the same building. For Long Island City, having Innolabs fully spoken for underscores the neighborhood's push to become a major life-sciences cluster outside Manhattan.
Latest Leases And What They Mean
According to New York Business Journal, which reported the deal on April 2, 2026, Rover Diagnostics took the final available space at Innolabs. The outlet also reported that New York University Langone has signed roughly a 46,000-square-foot lease and plans to occupy two floors at the 45-18 Court Square complex. Together, those moves leave the building effectively fully committed, according to the coverage.
About Innolabs
Innolabs is a purpose-built life-sciences conversion at 45-18 Court Square that was redeveloped by King Street Properties and GFP Real Estate. King Street Properties says the building includes lab-grade infrastructure, including oversized freight access, an acid-neutralization room, central HVAC and multiple risers for equipment. New York YIMBY documented the project's completion and its roughly 267,000-square-foot size during construction.
Who Is Rover Diagnostics?
Rover Diagnostics is an early-stage diagnostics company developing a low-cost nucleic acid amplification (NAAT) platform, led by Brian Caplin, PhD, according to state materials. Governor Hochul's office said the company received a $1.8 million Biodefense Commercialization Fund award in July 2024 to advance that technology and committed to staying in New York as part of the program's terms.
What It Means For LIC
The fill-up at Innolabs highlights how institutional anchors and small-company R&D tenants are co-locating in outer-borough lab markets and boosting Long Island City's profile as a life-sciences node. Commercial Observer reported in November 2025 that NYU's BioLabs took 46,000 square feet at Innolabs, and market research shows occupancy-ready lab availability in New York City has tightened in recent years, a dynamic that helps explain demand for purpose-built conversions. CBRE Research data cited by analysts indicate occupancy-ready availability fell notably at year-end 2024.
Representatives for Innolabs and Rover Diagnostics did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to New York Business Journal. The deal will be watched as LIC competes for both institutional lab programs and early-stage life-sciences startups looking for move-in-ready space.
