Berkeley Investments receives full approval for 203,000 s/f facility

Billerica, MA Berkeley Investments has received full approvals for its 203,000 s/f cGMP (good manufacturing practices) facility located at 161 Concord Rd.

“The 161 Concord Rd. facility will become a substantial part of the regional biotech and biomanufacturing corridor – stretching from Lexington to Billerica – that is allowing both the research and development phases of our life science industry to remain in Massachusetts,” said Morgan Pierson, director of development at Berkeley Investments. “Having a biomanufacturing site so close to Cambridge and Boston means that our life science companies can create more jobs while experiencing the safety, quality, and scientific benefits of keeping the biomanufacturing process operating in close proximity and in the U.S.”

Berkeley closed on the 22-acre parcel in the spring of 2022. The land was zoned for industrial use and had not been developed in more than 50 years. The site of Berkeley’s forthcoming project is in a prime location for manufacturing related to the life science industry as it sits between I-95 and I-495, while also being 20 minutes from Kendall Sq. in Cambridge. Upon full occupancy, 161 Concord is projected to create more than 325 jobs, many of which will not require technical degrees, which will extend the job opportunities to more people in the region.

“With President Biden announcing his Cancer Moonshot in Boston and appointing Dr. Renee Wegrzyn of the Boston-based Ginkgo Bioworks to head the newly forming federal ARPA-H program, Greater Boston’s position as a leading center of life science research and development is growing even stronger,” said Esther Byun, senior project manager at Berkeley Investments. “Having more biomanufacturing facilities in Greater Boston will allow the region to become a more significant contributor to the Cancer Moonshot initiative and the search for cures for many other diseases.”

Berkeley worked collaboratively with town officials and community members to rezone part of the site, which will allow the region to see the project’s benefits and meet the market demand. Berkeley also agreed to gift 2.6 acres, along the Concord River, to the town for conservation purposes, never to be built on in the future.

The 161 Concord Road GMP project adds to Berkeley’s growing portfolio of life science investments and developments in the Greater Boston area, including the multi-story redevelopment in Malden center and the ground-up mixed-use development at 176 Lincoln Street in Boston.