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Science Research Park (SRP)

Last Updated: August 5, 2024 3:00:17 PM PDT
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UC San Diego Real Estate Department Project

Copyright Wexford Development LLC / Credit: ZGF Architects

The 23-acre Science Research Park on UC San Diego’s east campus creates a vibrant environment for corporate and academic partnerships to advance the university’s research objectives, commercialization and provide students with real-world challenges and experiences that prepare them to contribute to the future workforce. Current tenants within the Science Research Park totaling approximately 280,000 square feet include the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (operational since 2006) and the Center for Novel Therapeutics (operational since 2019). 

Through a public-private partnership, Wexford Science & Technology, LLC will develop the remaining 14 undeveloped acres within the 23-acre Science Research Park, providing new life science and technology research, office, ancillary retail, public facing events and programs, and outdoor gathering spaces. The master plan and building design will be advanced and reviewed through a series of iterative design workshops with campus stakeholders and the design review board, then presented with associated environmental compliance to the UC Regents for approval anticipated in September 2023. 

Three new buildings and two new parking structures have been located at the perimeters of the Science Research Park to prioritize opportunities for a pedestrian-focused campus in the center that works well with the two existing buildings (Center for Novel Therapeutics and La Jolla Institute for Immunology).  The new parking structures and their entrances are located to the periphery for vehicular access from Athena Circle and to minimize pedestrian crossings.  The new buildings are located to minimize walking distances from the parking structures and their massing steps back away from the existing structures to maximize daylight within Science Research Park and respect the scale of the existing buildings. 

Two primary pedestrian circulation axes organize the campus.  In the north-south axis, Innovation Walk connects Mesa Housing on the south all the way through Science Research Park to the UC San Diego Health  Campus on the north. In the east-west direction, Campus Mews extends from the Open Space Preserve (Canyon) to the west across Athena Circle and to a redesigned Athena Way that will serve as the primary entrance to Science Research Park. 

The new buildings are placed along these pedestrian axes to engage and activate them.  The North Building is a gateway from the Health Sciences Campus and its ground-level program and design includes a communal front porch and events lawn intended to welcome and foster a sense of community.  The South Building is a distinctive marker from the Athena Way entrance and its ground level is focused on retail that will serve the campus and community.  The East Building is situated prominently along Regents Road creating a strong identity for the campus and its massing and articulation are designed to relate well to the existing La Jolla Institute for Immunology building and provide an attractive edge to the neighbors to the east. 

UC San Diego is a global research and academic medical powerhouse, and is also among the top universities in the nation for startup creation. The goal is for Science Research Park to become the epicenter of research development and commercialization in southern California, attracting new thinking, new partners, and new ideas to the region. 
 

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Public-Private Partnership (P3) Details

    • Director Real Estate P3 Development: Jenner Smith
    • Capital Program Management Project Liaison: Worth Archambault, Kevin deFreitas
    • Phase: Schematic Design
    • Developer: Wexford Science & Technology
    • Architects: ZGF Architects, Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects, landscape architects RELM
    • General Contractor: Turner Construction
    • Capital Partner: Ventas, Inc.
    • Link to Project Site Map: Science Research Park - Project Site Map
    • Anticipated Construction: 2024 through 2032 (phased development)
      • Phase 1 (anticipated to start in Q3 2024):
        • Parking Structure 1 and South Building, followed by North Building.
      • Phase 2 (anticipated to start Q2 2028):
        • Parking Structure 2, then East Building.
    • LEED Certifications Goal: Gold

Science Research Park Environmental Review 

The project is consistent with the 2018 LRDP and 2018 LRDP EIR; therefore, pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines, an Addendum to the 2018 LRDP EIR has been prepared to evaluate the projects' consistency with these program documents. The UC Regents approved the Development Concept Update and Adopted these CEQA findings at their September 2023 meeting. Documentation regarding the project's CEQA evaluation can be found here: Addendum No. 13 - Science Research Park Project