Pomerleau and Seeker Labs are helping address the need for laboratory space in Canada’s largest city. In late September, the two companies held a groundbreaking ceremony for Catalyst, the city’s first purpose-built life sciences project in more than two decades.
Located at 77 Wade Avenue, the 155,000 square foot facility in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood aims to address the shortage of wet lab space in the region. According to recent studies, the vacancy rate in the GTA life sciences market sits at 0.2 per cent, so many companies looking to scale up their operations end up having to look outside of the city. Catalyst is being designed to attract both domestic and international companies that require these types of labs.
Guests at the event, which included members of the architecture, engineering and construction, and the life sciences communities, were treated to a preview of the project that included a 3D model of the lab building and site.
“Innovation is one of our core values at Pomerleau,” stated Michael Faustini, project director for Catalyst. “It is exciting to build for a client that shares this same value, as well as a commitment to progress, research and development.”
Catalyst, which is pursuing LEED Gold certification, is slated for completion in the spring of 2025.