In summer of 2004, the University of Washington School of Medicine began renovating the Brotman Building into a state-of-the-art biomedical research facility. Their multi-phase development plan was to turn it into part of an impressive biomedical research campus in the South Lake Union area of Seattle. Construction began in 2003, and in August of 2015 the University closed on the fourth phase of development that provides additional office and laboratory space.
By the end of phase four, the plan was to complete six buildings in this facility campus, totalling 800,000 square feet of offices and life sciences laboratory space. An additional building (phase five) would add yet another building to the area.
The project is a collaboration between the UW School of Medicine, Vulcan Real Estate, Perkins+Will, Sellen Construction and Grow America.
“…UW Medicine’s expansion at South Lake Union will allow us to bring together additional researchers from critically important areas and build upon the collaborative work of these scientific leaders in state-of-the-art facilities,” said Dr. Paul Ramsey, CEO of UW Medicine and dean of the UW School of Medicine, speaking on the third phase that built an expansive research lab. “The new space will present tremendous opportunities for scientists across multiple research disciplines.”
This expansion in South Lake Union creates new jobs and further enhances our region’s ability to compete globally and attract top talent.
Ada M. Healey
vice president of real estate at Vulcan
Researchers at UW’s School of Medicine continue to focus on developing life-changing therapies and medical breakthroughs that can critically impact the health of future generations worldwide. Their fields include: immunology, emerging (and reemerging) infectious diseases, rheumatology, kidney studies, and vision sciences.
“UW Medicine’s growing presence in South Lake Union contributes greatly to the critical mass of life sciences research organizations in the area that are leading breakthrough discoveries to improve global health,” said Ada M. Healey, vice president of real estate at Vulcan. “This expansion in South Lake Union creates new jobs and further enhances our region’s ability to compete globally and attract top talent.”
“The National Development Council (NDC) has been pleased to be involved with all three phases of the UW’s South Lake Union project. These projects represent an investment of $360 million in new research facilities for the School of Medicine, which is making a significant contribution to the economic health of Seattle and the entire region,” said John Finke, western team leader and regional director for NDC, the country’s oldest national non-profit economic development organization. “Congratulations to the University of Washington, the School of Medicine and all of the team.”
The project is being delivered using NDC’s American Model for public-private partnerships. The model uses tax-exempt bond financing and employs a private sector development team to maximize the benefits of private sector development expertise.
With the expansion of such impactful research topics, the University of Washington’s School of Medicine should continue to earn its high national rankings in education and research, and will surely attract many more students and specialized researchers.
From the ground
