The Hurley Group Transforms Offices into Labs at Elm City Bioscience Center

The Hurley Group has transformed an existing office building in New Haven to create the Elm City Bioscience Center. Designed by Svigals + Partners, the adaptive reuse project offers over 100,000 sf of leasable research space for startup companies. Featuring BSL-1 and BSL-2 environments, the eight-story biotech hub provides lab suites with adjacent work areas, meeting rooms, and break rooms. Advanced mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems enable the structure’s 12,000-sf floor plates to easily adapt to changing requirements and configurations. Existing shafts have been repurposed to accommodate tenant equipment needs, with concealed chases for natural gas and acid-resistant plumbing installed throughout. The highly flexible facility includes a renovated main lobby and an array of shared amenities. 

According to CBRE, office conversions account for only 2 percent of the overall corporate real estate market as of Q3 2022. Of projects currently proposed or under development, 50 percent are conversions to labs, 29 percent are multifamily residential apartments, 9 percent are mixed-use, and nearly 6 percent are hotels. The most active regions include: