BUMC Seeks City & State Approvals For Biosquare II
Boston University Medical Center
January 30, 2003
Boston University Medical Center filed plans last week with the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to seek final city and state approvals to build a new Biosafety Laboratory at its BioSquare complex in the South End.
In 2003, Boston University Medical Center was awarded $128 million by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to construct one of two National Biocontainment Laboratories (NBL). These research facilities are part of a national network that will develop drugs, vaccines and treatments against emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases so that they no longer will pose a threat to public health. The research will be conducted on emerging infectious diseases that either occur naturally or could be introduced as agents of bioterrorism.
The 194,000 square foot facility, located within BioSquare, a state-of-the-art biomedical research and business park, will be 7 stories high and will consist of levels 2, 3, and 4 biosafety laboratories as well as research support. These laboratories are part of the second phase of the BioSquare project, which also includes a second building containing 234,000 square feet of additional medical research space and an eight level parking garage that will accommodate 1,400 vehicles.
“We look forward to engaging in the regulatory and the community process on this important project. This Biosafety Laboratory is a critical component of our nation’s battle against these devastating diseases,” said Richard J. Towle, Senior Vice President, Boston University.
The project will bring significant economic impacts to Boston and the immediate neighborhood. More than 1,300 construction jobs will be generated. It is anticipated that there will be 660 permanent jobs at all levels, including environmental services, lab technicians, scientists and administrative staff, created to operate the facility.
This facility will be designed and built to exceed existing safety guidelines and regulations. Multiple levels of safety and security precautions will be implemented, utilizing the latest technologies.
This document – called a Final Project Impact Report/Environmental Impact Report that begins the final environmental review process with the state’s Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office and the Article 80 process with the city of Boston – was filed on July 30, 2004.
The Final Project Impact Report/Environmental Impact Report can be viewed at the South End, Dudley Square, Grove Hall and Main (Boylston Street) branches of the Boston Public Library.