In many regions, life sciences development is increasing demand for the buildings where scientific discoveries happen. One way to meet the need: Adaptive reuse of existing buildings.
The life sciences industry represents a compelling economic development opportunity throughout the United States, offering a potent combination of high-value job creation, innovation-driven growth, and societal impact. States are recognizing life sciences as a key economic driver and are creating specialized programs, funding mechanisms, and infrastructure to support the industry.
In regions with abundant pad-ready sites, ground-up construction remains a preferred strategy for life science development due to its predictability and design control. However, in land-constrained markets or areas with established infrastructure and industry ecosystems, adaptive reuse is gaining traction as a viable alternative, particularly when speed-to-market is critical.
While converting office, retail, or warehouse space into lab environments may offer faster delivery and potential cost efficiencies, these benefits must be weighed against the technical complexity of retrofitting. Upgrades to MEP systems, structural reinforcements, and compliance with biosafety and regulatory standards can introduce significant hidden costs, especially when transitioning from non-lab typologies.
Still, adaptive reuse presents strategic advantages. Existing utility connections can reduce infrastructure investment, and urban locations support access to talent, academic institutions, and supply chain partners – all key drivers in competitive biotech markets. Environmentally, reuse aligns with ESG goals by lowering the carbon footprint compared to greenfield development.
The most suitable candidates for conversion are outdated labs, industrial buildings, and warehouses with sufficient structural capacity. Recent projects have shown success in transforming these into bioanalytical labs and multi-tenant biotech hubs, helping address a lab space shortage estimated to exceed current capacity by nearly 10 percent.
Driven by Initiatives
Several states have created sophisticated initiatives to promote and activate life sciences development. Massachusetts exemplifies this potential, with life sciences employment growing 11.6% from 2021 to 2023 – nearly double the national growth rate of 6.3%. The state projects 32% growth over the next decade, adding 38,000 new jobs. Leading this growth is MassBio, a non-profit organization founded in 1985 that represents more than 1,500 life sciences companies in the state. The organization aims to advance the state’s leadership in life sciences and improve healthcare outcomes. MassBio collaborates with communities and governments to understand biotechnology's potential and benefits. In its excellent publication, Life Sciences Basics for Municipal Leaders, MassBio provides a framework for regulatory, safety, and facility requirements to move development forward. The publication defines four tiers of “BioReady” community preparedness for life sciences development, with qualifications ranging from Bronze to Platinum. It’s an effective checklist for municipal planners.
The two largest markets DesignGroup serves are part of this trend. Inspired in part by MassBio’s success, Ohio Life Sciences is similarly advocating for biotech development in the Buckeye State. It represents the interests of Ohio's nearly 5,000 life sciences establishments. Its mission is to align the life sciences ecosystem in the State of Ohio, build collaborative partnerships and advocate for policies and funding that will help accelerate related priorities and drive sustainable economic growth. Ohio has also created The Ohio Discovery Corridor, connecting the state's three life sciences innovation districts in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. This initiative is enabled by $3 billion in investment from anchor institutions, the state of Ohio, and JobsOhio, and is expected to inspire 47,500 additional STEM graduates and fuel an estimated 60,000 new jobs over 10 years.
Pennsylvania is hard at work pursuing life sciences development as well. The Pittsburgh Region is specifically promoting its established talent pool and thriving research environment. The region’s universities annually produce around 13,000 healthcare and life sciences graduates, and it is home to anchor institution University of Pittsburgh, which ranks among the top 10 colleges nationally in R&D spending. With its emphasis on computer science and AI, Carnegie Mellon is another local Tier 1 research university. The Pittsburgh Life Sciences Alliance (PLSA) connects the region’s clinical, research, manufacturing, and technology strengths to develop the industry as an economic engine. The Alliance reports a 170% increase in regional patents since 2013. Another advocate, TEConomy Partners, was commissioned by PLSA to focus on two key areas within the Pittsburgh region: Data-driven healthcare and connected devices, and next-generation therapeutics development and manufacturing.
All of these sectors will need new or additional space for research and development. Reuse of existing buildings should be part of the solution and can get them there faster and more efficiently.
Reuse in Action
In late February, Canon Healthcare USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Canon, announced it would buy and renovate the IBM Building in downtown Cleveland as the foundation for the company’s new comprehensive imaging resource center. The 43,000-square-foot building in Cleveland’s Fairfax neighborhood will host the company’s main office and serve as a hub for developing further U.S. and global collaborations, including at the Cleveland Clinic and beyond. It’s just one example of reuse being used to accelerate development and repurpose existing facilities.
Life sciences offer recession-resistant, high-paying careers that span from entry-level manufacturing positions to advanced research roles, making them accessible to workers with diverse educational backgrounds. The industry's close ties to major universities and research institutions create a cycle of innovation, with academic research generating startup companies, attracting venture capital, and producing the skilled workforce needed for continued growth. Like Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania boast a variety of thriving colleges and universities of all sizes.
Next in our series, we’ll take a closer look at a reuse project recently completed in Pittsburgh. It’s a great example of what’s possible. To discuss potential reuse projects for your lab needs, please contact DesignGroup. We’re eager to understand your needs and advise your next steps.
