{"id":17537,"date":"2023-05-26T23:21:13","date_gmt":"2023-05-27T06:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/houstons-helix-park-imagined-as-a-national-life-science-center\/"},"modified":"2023-05-26T23:21:15","modified_gmt":"2023-05-27T06:21:15","slug":"houstons-helix-park-imagined-as-a-national-life-science-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/houstons-helix-park-imagined-as-a-national-life-science-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Houston\u2019s Helix Park imagined as a national life science center"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Key players in Houston\u2019s life science sector have formed the Life Sciences Coalition. Together, they are on a mission to make the city the destination of choice for investment in biotech<\/a>, pharmaceutical, medical devices and research.<\/p>\n

According to a 2022 CBRE report<\/a>, Houston ranks 13th among the country\u2019s life science markets with nearly 400,000 employed in the over 1,700 health-related companies. The coalition wants to do more.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople think about Houston, they think about energy. They\u2019re going to think about life sciences in the future,\u201d Texas Medical Center president and CEO\u00a0William McKeon<\/a> told an audience attending a Houston Life Sciences Industry Update event early this year.<\/p>\n

McKeon believes Helix Park, a master plan medical center developed by the Texas Medical Center (TMC), is a catalyst for future life science development in Houston.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom modern, collaborative environments to research that saves lives, Helix Park is helping define the future of medicine. We have the potential to position Houston as the world\u2019s leading life science cluster while making an enormous difference for patients worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calling itself, \u201cThe World\u2019s Most Advanced Research Campus at the World\u2019s Largest Medical Center,\u201d<\/p>\n

Helix Park will ultimately span\u00a037 acres and five million square feet\u00a0of anticipated development, the TMC website says<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan emphasizes creative collisions between people, institutions and ideas, bolstered by a state-of-the-art infrastructure that will support a collaborative mix of health care, life science and business users.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition, purposeful, growth-focused capital investments will foster an ever-expanding network of business partners throughout the campus, from entrepreneurial ventures to Fortune 100 companies.\u201d<\/p>\n

A major tenant has already been announced. The Baylor College of Medicine<\/a>, known for its research with the human genome project, will lease 114,000 square feet of lab and office space in Dynamic One, the first of four buildings. Two more buildings at Helix Park will be \u201cactivated\u201d later this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cBaylor College of Medicine is a major force in life sciences discovery and commercialization at TMC,\u201d McKeon said in a news release. \u201cTheir move to TMC Helix Park will serve as a catalyst for enhanced collaboration with TMC\u2019s other esteemed Institutions, as well as with industry leaders from around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKeon also hopes Helix Park will attract a federal health care hub run by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, described as \u201ca \u2018customer experience\u2019 location to enhance clinical trials and reach more diverse patient populations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat NASA did for the space economy, this can do for health care,\u201d McKeon told local media<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s a major move by the federal government to advance therapies that normally take a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attracting companies and their highly-educated talent requires more than just commercial space. The environment surrounding the buildings must be attractive as well.<\/p>\n

Green space totalling 300,000 square feet designed by award-winning international architect Mikyoung Kim, \u201cwill weave through the heart of the Helix Park campus. Lush lawns, grassy knolls, abundant tree canopies and engaging water features will grace curved walkways alongside cafes, retail shops and other public spaces. The park will offer an expansive, welcoming meeting space where great minds can informally collaborate and new ideas can grow naturally.\u201d<\/p>\n

As impressive as Helix Park promises to be, it doesn\u2019t stand alone as Houston\u2019s sole new life science development. Over one million square feet of life science space is reportedly under construction, with another 1.5 million square in the proposal stage, adding to a current occupied total of between seven and eight million square feet.<\/p>\n

The competition doesn\u2019t bother McKeon. In fact, he recognizes the need for collective investments to transform the future life science economy in Houston.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want every one of them to be successful. We want life sciences to be Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n