Transwestern Gets Okay for 375K SF Vacaville Bio Campus
Streamlined process pushes through Axiom Point in 90 days.
A streamlined approval process for biotech projects yielded a unanimous approval within 90 days from the city of Vacaville’s Planning Commission for Transwestern’s Axiom Point project.
The 375K SF biomanufacturing campus will be built on a 22-acre site in the Vaca Valley Business Park at the interchange of I-80 and I-505. Transwestern said in a release that the campus will be constructed in two phases, with a 252K SF facility followed by a 123K SF second phase.
Transwestern’s facility if the first biomanufacturing unit to result from a Biotechnology Fast-Track Program that was adopted as part of Vacaville’s biotech growth strategy.
In a statement, Transwestern Managing Partner Fred Knapp said that the quick turnaround supports the city’s initiative to make biomanufacturing the foundation of its economic development plan.
The Axiom Point campus, developed by a partnership between Transwestern Ventures and Transwestern Real Estate Services, will be designed for maximum flexibility, including biomanufacturing, medical device manufacturing, laboratory R&D, food science, agricultural technology and health care.
The project team includes design firm DGA and general contractor DPR Construction.
“Vacaville has the land, infrastructure and workforce that the biotech industry needs to grow,” said Vacaville Mayor Ron Rowlett, in a statement.
Vaca Valley Business Park is anchored by biotech and pharma giants Genentech, Johnson & Johnson, and has tenants including RxDNova, Agenus and Polaris.
The business park is in proximity to San Francisco, Sacramento, and the University of California’s Berkeley and Davis campuses, which provide easy access to top talent across the life science and advanced manufacturing sectors.
The park also is adjacent to Solano Community College’s Vacaville campus and home to the nonprofit California Biomanufacturing Center.
Vaca Valley Business Park, in operation since 1987, offers more than 240 acres for development.
According to Transwestern’s most recent market report, the Bay Area’ life science sector still is expanding despite economic volatility, with 4.2M SF of medical office space under construction as of the end of the third quarter, a 69% increase YOY and the highest level on record.
With a tightening vacancy and an expanding pipeline, the Bay Area continues to draw an historically high level of demand for life science space.