By SCN Staff
TAMPA, Fla.鈥擲kanska, a global construction and development firm, has announced it will construct a new mixed-use lab and office project for the University of South Florida鈥檚 (USF) Research Park. Skanska鈥檚 $27 million contract includes the design and construction of the laboratory and office building that will be located on USF鈥檚 campus in Tampa. The total cost of the project is $42 million.
The three-story life sciences building will house 120,000 square feet of office and lab space within USF’s Research Park, complete with ground-floor retail and dining options. Designed by architecture firm Gensler, the expansion of the research park will strengthen the university鈥檚 life sciences and technology ecosystem. Upon the project鈥檚 completion estimated for fall 2021, the capacity of the research park will be expanded by more than 30 percent.
鈥淲ith this investment into biotechnology and life sciences research, USF will further stimulate our regional economy in the Tampa Bay region,鈥� said Michael C. Brown, executive vice president and general manager of Skanska鈥檚 Florida building operations. 鈥淲e look forward to delivering a project that will help the university to promote innovation, entrepreneurism and the discovery of new technologies that will have a positive impact on our community.鈥�
Skanska is currently nearing completion of USF Health鈥檚 Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute, which is bringing the university鈥檚 medical education programs to the heart of downtown Tampa. Additionally, Skanska built two buildings totaling more than 230,000 square feet of laboratory and office space that opened at the original research park in 2005.