New York, NY – On July 19th, the Janus Property Company hosted the NYC BUILDS BIO+ organization and its members for a private tour of the Manhattanville Factory District, the largest privately-owned development in West Harlem. The tour was followed by an insightful conversation with several of the District’s life sciences tenants. The District spans four acres and 1.1 million rsf, connecting Columbia University, City College and the 125th Street arts and innovation corridor in West Harlem. The tour included the 150,000 rsf Mink Building, the 50,000 rsf Sweets Building, and the recently completed 200,000 rsf Malt House and 350,000 rsf Taystee Lab Building. The entire District campus is knit into the city fabric, beginning on West 125th Street and extending to West 128th Street by a series of landscaped publicly accessible walkways and park-like settings as recently highlighted in Architectural Digest. The District has been a first mover delivering highly technical life sciences space to individuals, start-ups, publicly held companies and researchers, while also creating a new vibrant commercial campus, as part of the development’s uniquely designed urban context. As the only purpose-built new construction lab building in New York available for lease, the Taystee Lab Building is a prime example of the district’s leading role in this critical and growing industry.
Introductory comments were made by Nancy J. Kelley, President & CEO, NYC Build Bio+, followed by welcome comments and an explanation of the District and various buildings from Janus Property Company Principals Scott Metzner and Jerry Salama. Reverence Restaurant and Chef Russell Jackson provided food, while Kim Harris and Kevin Bradford of Harlem Hops provided local, craft and family-owned brewed beers on tap, along with wine and sparkling water. Together, it was a convincing example of the extraordinary local dining and entertainment options throughout the neighborhood.
Following tours of the various Factory District buildings, their private terraces, the Harlem Biospace incubator, and the interconnecting landscaped areas not yet open to the public, a panel discussion was moderated by Scott Metzner and William Tanner; Managing Director of Danforth Advisors. Other industry leading panelists from the District included Vladislav Sandler, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals; Charles Hugh-Jones, MD, FRCP, Chief Executive Officer, Volastra Therapeutics; Erik Young, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, Quicksilver Biosciences; Chrisha Marhea Nario, Senior Lab Manager, Harlem Biospace, Latasha Wright, Ph.D. and Chief Scientific Officer, BioBus and Sara Rasmussen, Consulting Safety Officer, Safety Partners Inc. The panelists introduced their innovative research and discussed their growth and experiences in New York City, in general, and the District, in particular.
“West Harlem is a neighborhood full of energy, culture and charm,” said Metzner at the event. Council Member Shaun Abreu enthusiastically concurred, encouraging tenants and NYCBB+ members to grow their visions in his District, where he promised to continue to help with logistics and funding. The evening ended with dessert and more libations from Reverence and Harlem Hops, with the large crowd remaining late into the evening, enjoying the historic night and a rare networking opportunity.
About the Janus Property Company
The Janus Property Company is a developer, long-term owner and manager of life science, commercial, mixed-use and multi-family rental properties in New York City, with a current primary focus on the creative redevelopment of the Manhattanville Factory District in West Harlem. Since 1989, Janus has consistently undertaken important and complex community development projects, creating enduring value for its tenants, partners, lenders and the greater New York City community. It specializes in understanding the numerous issues involved in developing and managing real property in New York. This has resulted in an impressive array of successful projects ranging from the extensive rehabilitation and new construction of market rate and affordable rental and condominium housing to mixed-use projects, small and large-scale life science properties and master-planned neighborhood development. Janus is headquartered in the Manhattanville Factory District.
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