Longfellow Builds First Ground-up Development in Growing Sorrento Mesa Biotech Cluster

Bioterra campus groundbreaking is a milestone as top life science developer delivers on projects spanning 90 acres across Sorrento Mesa and Sorrento Valley

Longfellow Real Estate Partners, the largest privately held investor and developer of life science buildings in the United States, celebrated the groundbreaking of Bioterra, its first ground-up life science development in San Diego.

Longfellow Real Estate Partners Kicks Off Bioterra Project

A milestone in Longfellow’s commitment to building out the burgeoning biotech cluster in the Sorrento Mesa and Sorrento Valley submarkets, Bioterra will consist of over 323,000 square feet in six stories. The new campus, designed by HOK with McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. as the general contractor on the project, will feature a beautiful rooftop patio overlooking Sorrento Mesa, with specially curated food and beverage options open to the public. Consistent with Longfellow’s commitment to be a leader in delivering environmentally sustainable and socially responsible projects, Bioterra will be the first all-electric HVAC life science building in San Diego in addition to being designed to LEED Gold Certification and Fitwel Standards, resulting in strategically forward-thinking and ESG leading design.

Bioterra is ideally located in Sorrento Mesa, offering biotech tenants convenient access to the
I-5 Freeway and San Diego’s finest universities and research institutes, including UC San Diego, Salk Institute, and the Scripps Research Institute, as well as numerous world-renowned medical centers. The campus is just minutes away from Longfellow’s other life science properties in the region, including the award-winning SOVA Science District campus which includes an amenity center complete with on-site gym, brewery, and coffee shop.

Bioterra Project Plants The Flag in San Diego

“As the first ground-up project in our San Diego portfolio, Bioterra is an exciting step forward in Longfellow’s commitment to support the rapidly growing San Diego life science market,” said Nick Frasco, Longfellow Real Estate Partners Chief Investment Officer West & Managing Director. “Once construction is complete, the campus will be a major addition to San Diego’s core life science cluster and offer will top biotech users a unique value proposition based on state-of-the-art space, unparalleled amenities, and proximity to world-class industry partners.”

“As San Diego continues to develop and draw the world’s top talent in life science and biotech innovation, much of that growth has been right here in Sorrento Mesa and Sorrento Valley. Today’s groundbreaking at Bioterra is a result of Longfellow’s commitment to building a world-class innovation ecosystem in this community,” said San Diego City Councilmember Chris Cate. “I look forward to Longfellow’s continued investment in the region as we work together to create the 21st century infrastructure our city and economy demands.”

• Learn more about Longfellow Real Estate Partners.
• Explore our Life Science construction services and projects.

Longfellow’s groundbreaking at Bioterra follows the firm’s rapid expansion last month to two new US markets, Philadelphia, and Maryland-Washington D.C., along the company’s first international acquisition in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

“When we first entered the San Diego market in 2018, we had a vision for the future of life science development in the region,” said Adam Sichol, Longfellow Real Estate Partners Co-Founder and CEO. “Now four years later that is becoming a reality, as we deliver on large investments across 90 acres in key locations for the regional biotech industry. Bioterra has the distinction of being the first property we’re developing from the ground-up, enabling us to build a purpose-built space where our future tenants can thrive. The campus site is an unparalleled location that offers users access to top medical facilities, transit, and amenities.”

“We’re honored the team at Longfellow trusted McCarthy to lead its first ground-up build for their new Bioterra campus at Sorrento Mesa,” said Robert Betz, executive vice president at McCarthy. “McCarthy has a deep well of expertise in the local San Diego life science industry, and we’re confident our knowledge in the space—paired with Longfellow’s commitment to innovation and sustainability — will deliver an unforgettable campus.” 

Longfellow currently has a total investment and development portfolio of approximately 15 million square feet and over $10bn in total asset value, with large footprints in the nation’s most dynamic centers for the biotech industry including San Diego, Boston, San Francisco, and the Research Triangle.

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About Longfellow Real Estate Partners

Longfellow Real Estate Partners is the largest private life science real estate services firm in the United States. The firm’s portfolio spans approximately 15 million square feet of laboratory and technology space, concentrated in the nation’s top markets for bio-innovation on both coasts including Boston-Cambridge, Maryland-Washington D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, the Research Triangle of North Carolina, along with the firm’s expansion to the United Kingdom. Longfellow acquires and develops facilities in strategic locations and builds long-term relationships with research-centric organizations including life science companies, universities, medical centers, and research institutes. The firm’s institutional capabilities and entrepreneurial vision enables Longfellow to deliver high-quality laboratories and innovation space while satisfying each customer’s unique requirements.

For more information visit lfrep.com.

Rendering courtesy of HOK