New medical lab and office building coming to Philly’s Navy Yard

The Navy Yard is about to see another addition to its growing collection of offices, labs and corporate buildings.

A 136,000-square-foot medical lab and office building, developed by Gattuso Development and designed by Digasu is planned for 300 Rouse Boulevard, a section of land adjacent to the yard’s Central Green, according to plans posted online ahead of a Civic Design Review (CDR) meeting next week.

California-based cancer-therapy firm, Iovance Biotherapeutics Inc. has signed a lease for the building, which is expected to wrap up in 2021, according to a statement on their website. They will invest $75 million in construction and equipment to develop the building, the according to the statement.

The southern portion of the building will be a one-story structure with a utility yard and a loading dock; the northern portion will be three stories tall, and includes green space with bioretention basins outside. The plans also include 318 outdoor parking spaces.

Iovance plans to use the building as a manufacturing and production facility for tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) products.

“Building our own internal production capabilities will help us reduce the cost of operations which is necessary for offering broad access to TIL therapy,” Maria Fardis of Iovance said in the statement.

The group chose Philly’s Navy Yard based on the site’s popularity as a technology and life sciences hub.

“Philadelphia’s well-established and growing life sciences sector has strong academic and research institutions, a robust talent pipeline from recent college graduates to senior executives and scientists, and a central location on the East Coast.”