The New Jersey Center of Excellence in Bridgewater — Courtesy: Advance Realty
By Joshua Burd
A biotechnology firm has expanded its footprint at the New Jersey Center of Excellence, Advance Realty’s sprawling commercial and soon-to-be mixed-use campus in Bridgewater.
The developer and CrossHarbor Capital Partners LLC announced Wednesday that Clinical Genomics has signed a 16,201-square-foot lease at the complex on Route 202/206. The firm, which develops products for colorectal cancer diagnosis and monitoring, has been a tenant at the 110-acre property since late 2015, when it was one of four firms that leased a combined 11,000 square feet at the time.
Clinical Genomics was represented in the transaction by Mary Franzwa Ryan of Franzwa Real Estate Advisors LLC, while Advance was represented by Barry Quiner, its director of asset management, and a JLL team of Daniel Loughlin, Robert Ryan, Craig Eisenhardt and Scott Stange.
“Our decision to relocate to the New Jersey Center of Excellence has proven to be extremely beneficial in terms of both productivity and employee satisfaction,” Lawrence LaPointe, CEO and co-founder of Clinical Genomics, said in a prepared statement. “As we continue to combat cancer through the development of health care solutions that enable early detection and prevention of the disease, the increased amount of state-of-the-art space that we’ve leased will allow for the company’s current and future growth.”
The company is one of several life sciences companies that occupy the former Sanofi U.S. research campus, which Advance and CrossHarbor acquired in 2014. The sale followed the French pharmaceutical giant’s decision to move its R&D arm to Boston, leaving behind several state-of-the-art laboratory buildings in the heart of the state’s life sciences corridor.
The new owners have used the space to repopulate the site with everything from biotech startups to marquee global firms such as Nestle Health Science, which is building a 180,000-square-foot R&D center on the campus to develop nutrition-based therapies.
But Advance’s master plan calls for a mix of uses that will create a town center-style destination within Somerset County, including 400 luxury apartments and amenities such as restaurants, a wellness center and retailers.
Construction on the town center portion of the project is set to begin this winter, Advance said in a news release Wednesday.
“Clinical Genomics’ decision to lease additional space at the New Jersey Center of Excellence is a tribute to both the success and growth of the company, as well as the world-class R&D environment we’ve created at the campus for bio and pharma companies,” said Peter Cocoziello, founder and CEO of Advance Realty. “As we embark on our plan to create New Jersey’s most dynamic new town center, the fact that leading companies in the sector are leasing space and expanding their footprints at NJCOE validates our vision for bringing the best and brightest minds in life science innovation to Bridgewater, and creating a destination for the entire region.”
