Senator Cory Gardner, Congressman Mike Coffman, and Danielle Radovich Piper, Chief of Staff to Congressman Ed Perlmutter joined CU President Bruce Benson, CU Anschutz Medical Campus Chancellor Don Elliman, and Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority (FRA) Executive Director Steve VanNurden on April 3 for the groundbreaking of the Bioscience 3 Building – a new Biosciences Incubator located just north of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. CU School of Medicine Dean John J. Reilly, Jr. and CU Vice President for Health Affairs Lilly Marks were also in attendance.

A $55 million investment by the FRA will provide new space for collaboration between faculty research efforts and startup companies.  The building is part of a plan to bring more than $400 million in new development to the nearly 200 acre site, which was previously part of the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center.  The leadership of the University of Colorado and the FRA expressed their appreciation to members of the Colorado Congressional delegation, who spent years helping the University, the city of Aurora, and the FRA navigate the administrative and legal red tape required to resolve outstanding issues with the Department of Defense and prepare the land for development.

Acknowledging the “immense frustration” from years of development stagnation on the property, Chancellor Elliman credited two things for the positive outlook. “One was a new administration in Aurora. We couldn’t have done this without the City Council and Mayor Stephen Hogan,” he said.  “The other was the successful negotiations with the United States Army,” Elliman said, referring to a recent resolution allowing the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority to move forward with expansion plans. “For that we have our delegation to thank.”

The planned Fitzsimons Innovation Community will stretch the CU Anschutz campus’ reach northward across the old Fitzsimons Golf Course.  In addition to the bioscience incubators, it will include science-and math-focused elementary, middle and high schools, apartments, hotels, and more.  The three level, 115,000 GSF Biosciences 3 building is designed to host a diverse concentration of companies and will contain wet labs, research bays designed to minimize vibration, open offices, office suites, flexible warehouses and distribution space. Amenities will include a 100-seat flexible auditorium, shared conference facilities, a café with outdoor seating, and covered parking.  The building is scheduled for completion in 2019.  Read more at CU Anschutz Today.

Fitzsimons Innovation Community Bioscience 3 Building Groundbreaking at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus

Robert King Photography

John Reilly, Jr., Dean of CU School of Medicine, Chancellor Don Elliman, CU Vice President for Health Affairs Lilly Marks, CU President Bruce Benson, Senator Cory Gardner, and Congressman Mike Coffman

Office of Government Relations