The Research and Development District (RaDD), one of the nation’s largest life-sciences projects, is set to debut in San Diego in the coming months. However, according to a recent report by Bisnow, it currently lacks any biotech tenants.

Why It Matters:

The $1.6 billion project, encompassing 1.7 million square feet of commercial space, is entering a market already grappling with high vacancy rates for both lab and office spaces.

Quick Recap:

San Diego-based IQHQ initiated the project in fall 2020, touting it as the largest commercial waterfront opportunity in California.

• Former Mayor Kevin Faulconer highlighted that it would establish a downtown life-sciences hub, distinct from the industry’s established northern areas near UC San Diego.
• In 2006, the U.S. Navy granted developer Doug Manchester a 99-year lease to develop eight downtown blocks, including a new headquarters for the military branch.
• Manchester completed the 17-story Navy One Building in fall 2020 and subsequently sold most of the remaining project area to IQHQ for $230 million.

Current Challenges:

RaDD has yet to disclose how its 1.7 million square feet will be allocated among office, lab, and retail spaces, and it currently has no announced tenants.

• The city’s overall office vacancy rate rose to 18.2% in March, up from 14.4% the previous year, according to Commercial Edge.
• Life sciences vacancies in core submarkets like Torrey Pines, UTC, Sorrento Mesa, and Sorrento Valley stood at 15.3% in the first quarter, per CBRE.
• Sorrento Mesa, the largest life-sciences submarket, had a 20% vacancy rate.
• Downtown’s smaller life-sciences submarket experienced a vacancy rate exceeding 50% during the same period.

Key Issues:

Life-sciences projects are driving new office space nationwide, with San Diego’s 3.6 million square feet under construction representing 16% of the country’s pipeline.

• The Horton Plaza redevelopment will add another 615,000 square feet this year.
• Downtown’s smaller Genesis San Diego has successfully secured some leases.

The Bottom Line:

RaDD officials mentioned on the Built Podcast in early 2023 that the project aims to create a new economic engine for downtown.

• However, Taylor DeBerry, a life-sciences analyst at Jones Lang Lasalle, told Bisnow that downtown will likely remain secondary to the industry’s core northern submarkets.
• “And currently, RaDD doesn’t have any leasing,” he noted. “I think that speaks volumes about the leasing environment downtown.”

San Diego’s renowned life science sector has hit a new milestone this year, but not in a positive way. The vacancy rate for lab and office spaces has soared to a record 14 percent.

Just three years ago, companies were scrambling for space in key life science hubs like Sorrento Valley, La Jolla, and Del Mar. Now, there are more buildings available than local companies are willing to lease.

Current Trends:

The overall vacancy rate for life science spaces in the area has jumped to 14.3 percent, up from 5.7 percent the previous year, according to first-quarter data from Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).

• Several companies have downsized or completely vacated their offices recently. For instance, gene therapy firm Locano Bio ceased operations, vacating 39,000 square feet in Torrey Pines. Similarly, gene-sequencing giant Illumina offloaded its UTC office to save millions.
• Many local life science companies are subleasing their unused offices to cut costs or accommodate smaller staffs after layoffs. JLL reports that there are about 1.2 million square feet of available sublease space, nearly double from a year ago.

Market Dynamics:

Taylor DeBerry, senior associate of JLL’s life science group, notes that the market is seeing unprecedented levels of sublease space due to the over-exuberance during COVID-19. Companies are now pulling back as venture capital becomes harder to secure.

• San Diego startups raised $1.57 billion in venture capital in the first quarter of 2024, a significant improvement after a slow year. However, venture capital deals have been sparse since the record-breaking year of 2021.
• Life science investors are now more selective, writing bigger checks to fewer companies, which in turn are cautious about their real estate spending.

Tenant Market:

The balance has shifted from a landlord’s market to a tenant’s market. Tenants are now looking for better deals and have more options to choose from.

• The JLL report indicates that life science tenants prefer newer buildings, securing premium spaces at lower rates due to the oversupply.
• Most life science companies are concentrated along Interstate 5 and Interstate 805, near major research institutes. The core clusters include Del Mar Heights/Carmel Valley, La Jolla, Sorrento Mesa, Sorrento Valley, Torrey Pines, and UTC.

Rent Trends:

Asking rents in San Diego’s core life science cluster have decreased by 7.2 percent year over year, marking four consecutive quarters of decline after a decade of growth.

• Del Mar Heights and Carmel Valley have the highest rents at $6.74 per square foot, followed by downtown San Diego at $6.15 and Sorrento Mesa at $6.10. Sorrento Valley has the lowest average asking rent at $5.84 per square foot.
• The overall average asking rent in the first quarter was $6.02 per square foot, down from $6.40 a year ago.

Notable Deals:

Despite the high vacancy rates, some significant deals have boosted real estate activity. Pfizer signed a 15-year lease for 230,000 square feet at the Torrey View campus, the largest lease in two years.

Future Outlook:

The imbalance of supply and demand is unlikely to normalize soon, especially with new projects coming online.

• The RaDD IQHQ campus on San Diego’s waterfront, encompassing 1.7 million square feet, is a highly anticipated project focused on life science labs and offices, along with retail, dining, and green spaces.
• The Campus at Horton, a 10-acre mixed-use development, will feature two 40-story apartment towers, retail, and proposed office spaces for life science companies. Both projects are outside the traditional life science core and have yet to announce any life science leases.

The life science industry, which experienced a surge in growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to show resilience and potential for long-term expansion. The crisis catalyzed an unprecedented focus on vaccine development, testing, and broader health research, leading to a doubling of venture capital funding for startups from $6.6 billion in 2019 to a peak of $31.8 billion in 2021. This influx of capital triggered a construction boom across key life science hubs like Boston/Cambridge, San Francisco, San Diego, and Raleigh-Durham to address the near-zero vacancy rates.

By 2023, the landscape began to shift with the delivery of millions of square feet of wet lab and R&D space and a slowdown in venture capital funding, resulting in increased vacancy rates. The national lab/R&D vacancy rate rose to 13.1%, a significant jump from the 8% average between 2016 and 2020. Despite this, the life science sector’s long-term outlook remains optimistic. Biotech venture capital funding, while down from its peak, is still substantially higher than pre-pandemic levels. The National Institute of Health (NIH) funding has continued its upward trajectory, reaching $38.1 billion in 2023, a 25% increase since before the pandemic. Moreover, there is a robust 82.8 million square feet of new construction in progress, although construction starts have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Job growth in the life sciences has been strong, with an 11% increase in employment since 2018 and a 2.0% growth in 2023. The industry’s contribution to the U.S. economy was a staggering $2.9 trillion in 2021.

In California, particularly Southern California, the life science industry has had a profound economic impact, supporting 1.19 million jobs and generating $413.7 billion in business output. The state leads the nation in life science employment, with significant NIH and National Science Foundation funding fueling innovation and growth.

San Diego stands out as one of the top life science clusters in the U.S., with over 2,100 establishments contributing to the region’s innovation economy. Despite a slight decline in occupancy rates, the demand for lab space remains high, with significant construction projects underway and strong venture capital interest.

Los Angeles County, though historically behind other life science clusters, is gaining momentum with substantial employment and venture capital investment. UCLA’s recent acquisition of the Westside Pavilion mall for transformation into a research park underscores the region’s commitment to advancing life sciences.

Overall, the life science industry’s future looks promising, with sustained funding, job growth, and technological advancements driving demand for lab space. The upcoming BIO International Convention in San Diego in 2024 further highlights the sector’s vitality and global significance.

Pfizer has secured the title for the most significant life sciences transaction in San Diego for the year 2024

In a landmark deal, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology titan has secured a 15-year lease for 230,000 square feet at a coastal complex nearing completion in San Diego. This transaction is the most substantial life sciences lease in San Diego for the year 2024, surpassing the largest lease from the previous year by more than double.

While the exact financial terms of the lease remain undisclosed, Bloomberg’s reports suggest an estimated value of approximately $290 million. Both the developers and Pfizer have chosen not to divulge further financial details.

The sprawling 10-acre Torrey View campus, encompassing 520,000 square feet, is nearing completion. This development is a collaborative effort by Breakthrough Properties, Mitsui Fudosan America, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario, and AP2.

Pfizer is once again enlarging its property portfolio, bolstering investor trust in lab spaces.

The pharmaceutical and biotechnology behemoth has inked a 15-year agreement for 230,000 square feet within the coastal Torrey View complex in San Diego. This deal stands as the city’s largest life sciences lease for the year and is over double the size of the previous year’s largest lease.

Bloomberg estimates the lease’s value to be approximately $290 million. However, the financial specifics of the lease have not been disclosed by either the developers or Pfizer.

The Torrey View campus, a joint venture between Tishman Speyer and Bellco Capital under the Breakthrough Properties banner, is now entirely pre-leased thanks to the Pfizer contract, which secures two R&D buildings. Becton, Dickinson and Company have claimed the majority of the remaining space. The campus also boasts a conference center capable of accommodating 400 individuals, a fitness center designed by Jay Wright, and a pickleball court.

Following a monumental $43 billion acquisition of Seagen last year, Pfizer’s oncology division has expanded, as reported by Bloomberg.

This San Diego commitment follows Pfizer’s lease signing for 151,065 square feet at the Hudson Valley iCampus in Rockland County, N.Y., valued at upwards of $16 million, which occurred roughly seven months prior.

Many cities across the nation are facing a lack of laboratory space, the essential facilities that life science companies use for research and development. But in California, the situation is even worse. According to recent reports, lab space vacancy rates in the Bay Area and San Diego are around 3 percent, while in Los Angeles they are as low as 1.5 percent. How does this affect the life science industry when space is scarce? What do companies, especially startups, need to know? We asked our members who are experts in life science spaces and commercial real estate for some answers in this three-part Q&A series. The last part features San Diego, where we talked to Daniel J. Ryan, Co-Chief Investment Officer and Regional Market Director, San Diego, at Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc.

A recent headline claimed that finding lab space in San Diego is ‘almost impossible’ right now. What is your opinion on that?

I think the market is in a big pause right now. The IPO markets have closed. You’ve seen the public biotech stock market index halve. Many companies can’t raise money now at this lower stock price, and they have to make do with what they have. Companies are not moving right now. They’re waiting to see if they can survive this and, if things improve in the next few years, raise money and start again.

The demand has slowed down. Companies have stopped growing. We’re still seeing some reasonable formation with high-quality companies. They’re still getting funded here and there—I just met with one yesterday, and they got funded. But mostly, we’re seeing that the formational activity of the early-stage companies has cooled. And of course, the public companies that I mentioned, they’re hunkering down. My view is that in 2022, you won’t see much happening for the rest of the year. You may see a pickup in activity, but I think everyone is going to have a bit of availability start to show up.

Should we be worried about this?

We’ve seen this before. It’s generally healthy for the market when you think about it, because when capital gets too abundant, bad ideas or bad teams get funded, and that harms people in the long run. They may raise a lot of money, but then they fail spectacularly—and it damages the reputation of biotech.

This is a healthy, though painful, periodic resetting of the markets and capital expectations. That’s simply the reality today: there is not much leasing happening right now.

The leasing that Alexandria is doing—we’re about half the market—are legacy projects we’ve been working on for nine months and are finishing now. We are now digesting a lot of the big leases that we did earlier this year, such as 427,000 square feet with Bristol Myers Squibb, and we did big leases with Singular Genomics and Boundless Bio; the list goes on. We’re still busy, but it’s just digesting a lot of stuff. And we have a lot of development projects.

Does the current lab space situation pose the risk that companies will relocate outside of San Diego, or even the state?

Alexandria suffers from the same thing—we may have lost some great tenants, but they didn’t leave town. They end up going with some secondary or tertiary landlord.

There is lab availability today; there are ways to accommodate people. There will be some deliveries in ’23 and there’s a lot slated for ’24. If the market comes back crazy in early ’23 for some reason, we will probably have tightness again, but I don’t see it happening. I think it’s a healthy stop: It’s squeezing out some of the excesses in both the capital investment side and the development side, and it gives us a chance to catch up with our entitlements and our build.

I think the bigger crisis that we have, and the bigger concern that people have these days, is housing. If we want to keep growing this industry, how do we create more housing, rational housing?

Is there a factor that makes development in San Diego uniquely challenging? Are there other parts of the county outside the biotech cluster in Torrey Pines that are perhaps underutilized and could be considered for lab space?

Torrey Pines is pretty much spoken for, but Sorrento [Valley] and UTC [University Town Center] are not maxed out at the moment.

There won’t be much more to develop up here in Torrey Pines—you hear those jets overhead [from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar]? That’s why we have our 30-foot height limit in the neighborhood, we’re in the APZ (accident potential zone), and since most of Torrey Pines is in the flight path of Miramar, that prohibits density in excess of 0.34 square feet per acre. So, while Torrey Pines doesn’t have a lot of development potential, there is good potential in UTC. Alexandria has some really good projects: We have Costa Verde, which will ultimately be somewhere around 1 million square feet; Science Village, at around 450,000 square feet; and expansion opportunities on the Illumina campus, which will be another 700,000 or 800,000 square feet. In Sorrento, there’s lots of work and lots of growth happening.

As for other parts of the county, it remains to be seen for downtown. I think it’s going to be tough. Some projects downtown might do better, and there are some very, very large developments being delivered in mid-2024. If you talk to the experts, we’re going to have a couple of years of recession, and they’re going to be delivering in the midst of that.

What advice do you have for an upcoming startup that wants to find lab space in San Diego or find their headquarters here?

We have a proprietary product, Alexandria GradLabs—and while that building is full, that’s the type of space those companies want and need: small, prebuilt, and pre-equipped.

There are plenty of resources these days for these startups, including groups such as Connect, the EDC, etc. There’s lots of mentorship, early-stage money—and traditionally that’s something that San Diego is good at. We have a great ecosystem to support startups.

San Diego, once known primarily for its beautiful beaches and perfect weather, has emerged as a prominent hub for laboratory space in recent years. This phenomenon has piqued the interest of many researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors alike. In this blog post, we will explore the factors that have contributed to San Diego’s meteoric rise as a premier destination for lab space and the resulting impact on the biotech and life sciences industries.

Thriving Biotech Ecosystem

San Diego’s robust biotech ecosystem forms the bedrock of its success as a hub for lab space. The region is home to some of the world’s leading research institutions, including the renowned University of California San Diego (UCSD) and the Scripps Research Institute. These institutions attract top-notch talent, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. The proximity of such prestigious research centers to the lab spaces has created a unique environment that encourages knowledge sharing and advancement.

Government and Private Investments

The city of San Diego, along with the state of California, has made significant investments in supporting research and development within the biotech sector. Generous tax incentives, grants, and funding opportunities have attracted startups, biotech companies, and multinational corporations to set up their research and development operations in the region.

Additionally, private investors have recognized the potential of San Diego’s biotech industry, pouring capital into lab space infrastructure and technology. These investments have led to state-of-the-art facilities with cutting-edge equipment, which further attracts top talent and companies seeking to conduct high-impact research.

Access to Talent

San Diego’s allure extends beyond its breathtaking scenery. The city boasts a highly educated workforce with a strong focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. Graduates from UCSD, San Diego State University, and other prestigious institutions are drawn to the numerous job opportunities within the thriving biotech sector.

Furthermore, San Diego’s quality of life and family-friendly environment have made it an attractive destination for professionals seeking a better work-life balance. The availability of skilled talent has played a pivotal role in attracting biotech companies to establish their lab spaces in the area.

Collaborative Culture

Unlike the cutthroat competition seen in some biotech clusters, San Diego’s biotech community fosters a collaborative culture. Companies and research institutions often form partnerships to share resources, expertise, and knowledge. This synergistic approach allows for faster breakthroughs and accelerates the development of life-changing technologies.

In addition, the presence of various networking events, conferences, and industry-specific meetups facilitates meaningful interactions between scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors. This dynamic exchange of ideas nurtures innovation and has undoubtedly contributed to the growth of lab spaces in San Diego.

Supportive Infrastructure

San Diego’s rise as a hub for lab space can also be attributed to its supportive infrastructure. The region boasts world-class research parks, incubators, and accelerators specifically tailored to the needs of biotech startups. These facilities offer not only state-of-the-art lab spaces but also business development support, mentorship, and access to potential funding sources.

San Diego’s transformation into a hub for lab space has been a culmination of several key factors. Its thriving biotech ecosystem, government and private investments, access to a talented workforce, collaborative culture, and supportive infrastructure have all played essential roles in attracting companies and researchers to the region.

As the biotech and life sciences industries continue to evolve, San Diego is poised to remain at the forefront of innovation. The city’s commitment to nurturing scientific breakthroughs and its reputation as a collaborative community bode well for its future growth as a leader in the global biotech landscape. As more discoveries are made within the walls of San Diego’s lab spaces, the world can look forward to witnessing the positive impact of this vibrant and ever-expanding biotech hub.

If you are thinking of building a new lab or expanding your existing one, you might face some challenges with finding the right site. Below are the 5 Key Factors to Think About When Choosing a Site for Your Lab Project or say 5 key factors for laboratory site selection. Different locations have different advantages and disadvantages. To help you make a smart decision, here are five things you should think about before selecting a site.

Below are the 5 key factors for laboratory site selection

Key Factor 1. Location

The first key factor for laboratory site selection is Location affects site selection in various ways. One of them is the availability of existing space. There are many pharmaceutical and biotech start-ups on the East and West coasts, but not all of them succeed. This means that there might be some lab spaces that you can reuse. However, in the Midwest, these spaces are harder to find. On the other hand, the Midwest might offer some benefits, such as lower living costs. If you cannot find an existing lab space or afford to build a new one, you might have to convert to another type of space.

Another factor is the type of science you want to do in your lab. When you compare different sites, think about how they support your scientific goals and how they affect your transportation logistics. For example, if your lab does testing, where will the samples come from? Do you need to be close to an airport or a package delivery hub? If your testing is time-sensitive, location can be crucial for site selection. Also, consider the available workforce. Do they have the skills you need or are there training centers nearby to develop those skills?

Key Factor 2. Size

The second key factor for laboratory site selection Size is another important consideration for site selection, whether you are building a new lab or renovating an existing one. When you decide how big of a space you need, try to plan ahead, not just for your current operation. Will this space still meet your needs in five years? Can you add more workstations or testing capabilities? Sometimes, multi-tenant space can be a good option for size flexibility because you might have the first chance to take over an adjacent space in the building.

Size and cost can be tricky to balance. A large open space like a warehouse might have a low cost per square foot, but it might require more upfront investment to upgrade the site utilities and structural supports. On the contrary, choosing a smaller space that might need less initial investment might not be enough for your long-term needs. Moving to another facility too soon can be more costly than choosing a site that has room for growth but needs more initial investment. It depends on when and how you want to invest in your facility.

Key Factor3. Site Utilities

The third key factor for laboratory site selection Lab functions usually needs more complex and powerful utilities than a normal building provides. For this reason, buildings that are or have been renovated for labs can help you save a lot of money. These savings can give you more flexibility for tenant improvements.

A large amount of equipment in a lab places a very high and critical demand on electrical systems. Also, clean power might be needed for highly sensitive instruments because a voltage spike can damage expensive equipment. Sample and supply inventories might also need a strong emergency power system so that the storage equipment works without interruption to prevent damage or loss caused by an outage. To bring most existing facilities in line with these demands, they will need increased electrical service and possibly a new or additional emergency generator.

Commercial plumbing systems are usually designed to accommodate an average number of restrooms and sinks in areas such as breakrooms or kitchens. Labs use many more plumbing fixtures such as lab sinks, handwash sinks, glass wash equipment, emergency eyewash/shower stations, and floor drains, all of which increase supply and drainage needs. In addition, some labs even produce waste that needs a separate drainage system. These can be either biological or chemical in nature and are not allowed in the local or city system. Changing or adding an entire plumbing system can be very disruptive. It will likely interrupt the building’s services and potentially require extensive demolition of the concrete slab.

Depending on the nature of the science and the class of the lab, the requirements of the mechanical system may be more complex. Clean rooms and isolated testing need a complicated air supply system that can affect other areas of design. For most labs, floor space is considered “prime real estate” and it might not make economic sense for it to be used for major mechanical equipment; therefore, the best option for housing mechanical equipment is usually above the ceiling or on the roof. This places extra demand on the building’s structural system.

Key Factor 4. Structural

The fourth key factor for laboratory site selection While a large open space may be ideal because of the amount of available floor space, several of those building types will need a reinforced structure to support roof-top mechanical equipment. If the space has high ceilings, installing a mezzanine level can be a cost-effective solution. Maintenance needs and ease of access to the facility’s MEP equipment will heavily influence the choice between the proposed locations.

Bringing the facility up to the current building code can create a significant cost impact. Once a small percentage of the existing structure is modified, the code requires the entire structure to be upgraded to current standards. Current code standards will always have more stringent structural requirements for earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.

Neighboring tenants can also affect the structural environment of a potential space. Excessive noise and vibration caused by another tenant’s business operations can introduce new variables and disrupt sensitive equipment. You don’t want to build a testing lab with sensitive equipment next to an auto body shop. Measures can be taken to manage these complications, but for some operations, this is a considerable risk.

Key Factor 5: Long-term planning and projected growth

The fifth key factor for laboratory site selection, At San Diego Lab Spaces we recommend using a data-driven planning approach to site selection. Our method determines potential growth scenarios and outlines the priority of specific criteria to facilitate the site selection process. If you don’t consider how your operation will need to expand or fully understand its lifespan before selecting a facility, you could end up investing too much money in space. Think about your operational procedures: Will you need more lab or office workspace in two years; how about five years? What about storage? Will you need to grow multiple inventories at different rates? If they need to be stored within a controlled environment onsite growing these inventories will impact your utility demand and size needs.

We believe that long-term planning and projected growth are so important to the success of your facility that we have consulting team focused on it: Our Strategic Facility Planning (SFP) team helps clients analyze their current operations and then provides a roadmap for accommodating their growth: SFP works with each client understand their unique situation whether they are planning for three-years five-years or their unique growth horizon: We help our clients take proactive approach creating best space their operation by defining their needs preparing road map get there:

Ready to begin laboratory site selection?

No matter where are site selection process taking these five things into consideration will help make an informed strategic decision regarding your laboratory project: Even though there is no such thing perfect site San Diego Lab Spaces can provide design services to make what need: We here help define what looks make function your current long-term needs.

Do you know? Demand for Lab Space Increased 280% in San Diego During Pandemic

Need lab space in Boston or Cambridge? Good luck.