Mission Street and investment manager BGO have topped out phase two of The Press, in Foxton, Cambridgeshire, their latest science and technology campus.
The July 9 topping out ceremony involved stakeholders, partners and advisers to celebrate the completion of the building’s structure. Mission Street founder and chief executive Artem Korolev and architect Richard Warwick undertook a ceremonial filling of the last structural concrete in the building.
The 100,000 sq ft of fitted lab and office space is expected to be complete in Q1, 2025. It is being developed in three phases. Phase one (recently completed) saw the refurbishment of the former Burlington Press, providing 16,000 sq ft of fitted lab suites across two units, while phase two will deliver a further 65,000 sq ft of larger scale R&D space via a newly constructed two-storey building.
It will have amenities which will be open to the public.
Artem Korolev said: “This is a significant development for the Cambridge Southern Cluster, home to the UK’s highest concentration of biotech companies. The Press responds to a persistent shortfall in fit-for-purpose lab and office space that has meant that many outstanding innovators have had to settle for second-best alternatives and suffered as a result.”
The building, originally constructed as a printing works in 1909, was used for a variety of other industrial uses in the 1970s and 1980s.
Colin Brown, development director for Mission Street, said: “It was an absolute joy to work with the best of the existing buildings at the Burlington Press, and with phase two we had the opportunity to replace the lower quality buildings on site with industry-leading, purpose-built lab space, public space and additional amenity for the village of Foxton.
Cambridge-based architects Owers Warwick Architects designed the scheme which will retain historic features of the building.
The new scheme is targeting BREEAM Excellent and will deliver more than 10 per cent biodiversity net gain.
© Eastern Echo (powered by ukpropertyforums.com).
Sign up to receive our weekly free journal, The Forum here.
