(SOURCE: Shady Grove Innovation District)
Shady Grove Innovation District Reveals Phase One Plans For New Life Science Lab Space, Office Suites
By Erika Riley
March 7, 2023
Sponsored by ECBuild / EwingCole
During its first community meeting for the Shady Grove Innovation District (SGID), BXP unveiled plans for the project’s first phase and explained how the project will progress from start to finish. A second community meeting is in the works, and BXP will still need to receive approval from the City of Rockville before breaking ground. Currently, the company plans to begin construction as soon as Spring 2024, said CJ Overly, the project developer.
BXP is the largest owner and developer of premier workplaces in the US, holding office, life science, and residential assets within six different markets of the United States. Recent projects in the Biohealth Capital Region include the Mariott headquarters and the NIH Clinical Research Center in Bethesda.
“Phase One” of the project consists of a 5-story lab and office building at 15815 Shady Grove Road. The 137,000-square-foot building will have 27,000-square-foot floorplates. This project phase will also include an outdoor plaza with seating and workspace.
The second part of “Phase One” is the residential asset at 1101 Discovery Street, which will contain various layouts to suit every lifestyle. Additionally, the building will feature best-in-class on-site amenities and a dedicated parking garage for residents. At least 15% of the units will be reserved as affordable housing.
“It’s really the first three blocks of a new nine-block district,” said Overly.
BXP is pursuing planning commission approval for a level two site plan for Phase One. The hearing for this approval will hopefully happen by the end of the year, Overly says.
The larger Shady Grove Innovation District project extends far beyond just Phase One. SDGI is located on Shady Grove Road, bounded by Gaither Road and Choke Cherry Road, with a total imprint of 31 acres.
In total, SGID will offer 1.3 million square feet for life sciences use across as many as nine buildings in addition to the residential units. A 2-acre park and plaza will serve as the center of the project. BXP plans to structure the project around mass transit, as a new rapid bus transit service will include a stop right at the project’s front door.
“We plan to structure the project in the long term with an emphasis on utilizing mass transit as there is a new bus rapid transit service that’s going to have a stop at the front door of the project, so we really want to highlight that,” Overly said during the meeting.
The project will also have landscaped and activated pedestrian paths, and over a quarter of the project’s acreage will be dedicated to open space.
However, all details of the project are subject to the City of Rockville’s approval process and are subject to change. Traffic studies are still far off in the future as well.
Shady Grove Innovation District is the latest in many Biohealth Capital Region real estate projects set to deliver amenity-rich lab space. SGID’s location in the Shady Grove Cluster puts it in close proximity to similar projects such as the King Farm, Upper Rock, and 270 Center developments. Walkable retail within a quarter mile includes MOM’s Organic Market, Cava, Five Guys, Pieology Pizzeria, WOW Deli and a forthcoming Amazon Fresh grocery store.
The location is also accessible via mass transit, as the new bus will connect SGID to the Shady Grove metro stop. Car commuters will also benefit from SGID’s location between I-270 and Route 355 and one exit south of I-370 and Route 200.
For leasing opportunities, contact Erin Cotter of Boston Properties or Kevin Reap of CRBE.
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Erika Riley is a journalist who covers topics including business, real estate, and economics. She is based in Frederick, Maryland.
