307 College Road East in Plainsboro — Courtesy: JLL
By Joshua Burd
The owners of a life sciences campus outside Princeton are bringing new laboratory space to the complex as part of a newly launched renovation at one of its six buildings — with the potential for more by way of a build-to-suit opportunity on vacant land.
According to JLL, the leasing agent at the College Park R&D site, work is underway to update the 57,184-square-foot property at 307 College Road East in Plainsboro, where plans call for a new roof, electrical and HVAC mechanicals to support research and development and specialized manufacturing uses. The project by National Business Parks and ABS Partners Real Estate will also include new common areas, as they look to drive interest in the building’s 46,735 square feet of available space.
The project follows a recently announced lease by cell therapy company BioCentriq Inc., which will occupy 56,845 square feet of lab space at 201 College Road East. The full-building deal brings the 358,000-square-foot campus to 87 percent occupancy, JLL said, adding that the complex has no remaining R&D space.
“As BioCentriq joins our best-in-class roster of tenants, we are excited to also bring 307 College Road East and build-to-suit opportunities to the market,” JLL’ Robert Ryan said. “These options offer space tailored to the specific requirements of leading pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing firms, providing a rare opportunity to join a dynamic campus of industry-aligned peers in an innovative environment.”
Ryan, John Buckley and Thomas Romano, all managing directors with JLL, lead the agency team at the College Park R&D campus. They noted that 307 College Road East is designed to be divisible for up to three tenants, offering companies the opportunity to have input into the design of the new lab spaces, while the broader campus has another 31 acres of land available for build-to-suit opportunities of up to 350,000 square feet.
The property is located within the 2,200-acre Princeton Forrestal Center, where notable tenants include Novo Nordisk Inc., Princeton University, Siemens Corp., Genmab and Abbott Labs, the news release said. JLL noted that the region has the highest concentration of biochemists and biophysicists in the world and a central location that allows companies to draw skilled employees from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
The park is also minutes from the Princeton Junction train station, which provides both NJ Transit service and Amtrak service on the Northeast Corridor line, JLL said, while both Newark Liberty International and Philadelphia International airports are within a one-hour drive. Nearby Trenton-Mercer Airport offers direct flights to several locations and can accommodate corporate jet travel.
According to research by JLL, life sciences companies generated nearly 30 percent of leases signed in New Jersey in 2024, the largest volume of activity among the various business sectors.
