The University of Chicago will be leasing lab and research space as part of a new innovation facility called Hyde Park Labs, with construction already underway at the corner of 52nd Street and Harper Avenue in downtown Hyde Park. The new 302,000-plus square foot commercial lab facility is being built as a second phase of Harper Court—53rd Street’s flagship mixed-used commercial retail, office, and hotel development. Hyde Park Labs developers, Trammell Crow Company and Beacon Capital Partners, expect to complete construction in late 2024.
UChicago has leased one and a half floors of the 13-story facility, which will house researchers from the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and a new startup incubator to support companies that need wet laboratory space. The building will also offer lab space for rent to established companies or growing start-ups, particularly those that wish to co-locate with UChicago faculty and research programs. In addition to the University’s startup incubator, Hyde Park Labs will offer science-ready lab suites ranging from 4,000-17,000 RSF for graduation companies looking to grow out of University space.
“We have a historic opportunity to strengthen Chicago’s innovation capacity, while laying a foundation for further growth in our dynamic Hyde Park neighborhood,” Juan de Pablo, UChicago’s Executive Vice President for Science, Innovation, National Laboratories, and Global Initiatives, said in a press release about the project.
Hyde Park Labs will include 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space, ground-level retail, a lobby, bike room, nine floors of Class A laboratory space, office space, loading dock, and parking. All existing retail businesses near the development including LA Fitness, Stan’s Donuts, and Daisy’s Po-Boy and Tavern will remain open during the construction.
“The project will provide new opportunities to enhance the University’s strengths in the sciences, engineering, and other fields, including engagement of the Biological Sciences Division and Pritzker School of Medicine, the Physical Sciences Division, the Booth School of Business, the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the Chicago Quantum Exchange,” de Pablo and Kenneth S. Polonsky, M.D., Senior Advisor to the President, said in a message to academics and staff.
With a commitment to fostering South Side engagement and inclusion within the new advanced science and technology building, the development team is also dedicating a ground-floor community space with STEM programming for local K-12 students, teaching spaces, and University mentorship. To support that programming and additional outreach initiatives, the developers will fund a Community Engagement Program, which will include an annual community support fund to support STEM programming, including internship opportunities for local students, and a full-time community engagement coordinator to lead programming and manage the community space. A community engagement process, along with input from tenants, is informing the design of the community space and the activities and programming offered.
The project will also commit more than 40% of construction and operations spend toward minority and women-owned businesses. Additional information about the project is available at hydeparklabs.com.