Founding institutions celebrate the opening of 250,000-square-foot building; highlight potential impacts for the future of research, discovery, and patient care
HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Texas Medical Center (TMC), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas A&M University Health Science Center (Texas A&M Health), and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) today celebrated the opening of the TMC3 Collaborative Building and the launch of Helix Park.
“Today, we lay the cornerstone of a new campus fully dedicated to streamlining the commercialization of life-changing innovations in medicine and technologies,” said William McKeon, president and CEO of TMC.
The 250,000-square foot TMC3 Collaborative Building is located at the heart of Helix Park and incorporates research initiatives for the four founding institutions. Designed to foster collaboration between academic institutions and industry partners, the building includes purpose-built wet laboratories and office/co-working space to facilitate the seamless exchange of life science ideas and advancements. In addition, the building will host commercial life sciences companies including Portal Innovations, as well as the TMC Venture Fund.
“We are incredibly excited to both welcome our founding institutions and industry partners to the Collaborative Building and to invite the community to experience the Helix Park campus and its beautiful parks with a series of special events in the months ahead,” McKeon said.
“The future of life sciences in Houston is brighter than ever before as we come together to officially open the TMC3 Collaborative Building,” said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president, MD Anderson. “Our clinicians and scientists work daily to advance innovations in cancer research and care – all of which will be amplified in this new environment within Helix Park that further cultivates collaboration, connectivity, and creativity.”
“As we open this state-of-the-art facility, we’re opening the door to a new era of collaboration. This building signifies the dismantling of silos to deliver game-changing therapies for the toughest diseases impacting Texans and citizens worldwide,” said John Sharp, Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. “Texas A&M Health’s Institute of Biosciences and Technology has long been a trailblazer in drug discovery, and now, in the heart of this resource-rich ecosystem of the Texas Medical Center, we’re taking it up a notch. By positioning our scientists near their peers and esteemed clinicians, we’re igniting a spark that will fuel innovation and forge dynamic research programs.”
“With a shared commitment to improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities, we are bringing together academics and industry to accelerate discovery and medical breakthroughs,” said Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, MD, president and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair at UTHealth Houston. “Through the Texas Therapeutics Institute – already a signature collaborative enterprise at UTHealth Houston – our world-renowned leaders in therapeutic antibody development will have the opportunity to work closely with other leading researchers in the Texas Medical Center, greatly enhancing our collective ability to translate discoveries and ideas into effective treatments.”
When complete, the 37-acre Helix Park campus will also include Dynamic One (a 700,000-square-foot industry research building), six future industry and institutional research buildings, a hotel, a residential tower, and a mixed-use building with retail. In addition, six linked green spaces form an 18.7-acre campus “spine” that is now complete and open to the public.
The State of Texas will benefit from an ongoing annual impact of over $5.4 billion once the Helix Park campus is fully built out and occupied. More than 23,000 permanent new Harris County jobs will drive that gain, representing virtually all industries, pay scales, tax levels, and educational backgrounds. In addition, 19,000 construction jobs will be created to help bring Helix Park to life.
The TMC3 Collaborative Building was designed by Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects, one of the nation’s premier life science architectural firms. The first-of-its-kind Helix Park green space designed by award-winning international landscape architect Mikyoung Kim. Spanning 300,000-square feet, it encompasses six public parks, each approximately 55,000-square feet, linked in a unique double helix configuration that weaves through the heart of the Helix Park campus, creating an iconic gathering space. In addition to engaging water features, the parks offer cafes, retail shops, and other public spaces. Individual gardens will host outdoor receptions, concerts, graduations, and events of all sizes.
About Texas Medical Center
Texas Medical Center (TMC)—the largest medical city in the world—is at the forefront of advancing life sciences. Home to the brightest minds in medicine, TMC nurtures cross-institutional collaboration, creativity, and innovation among its 106,000-plus employees. With a campus of more than 50 million square feet, TMC annually hosts 10 million patients, performs over 180,000 surgeries, conducts over 750,000 ER visits, performs close to 14,000 heart surgeries, and delivers over 25,000 babies. Beyond patient care, TMC is pushing the boundaries of clinical research across its extensive network of partner institutions on a daily basis, pioneering effective health policy solutions to address the complex health care issues of today, and cultivating cutting-edge digital health applications and medical devices.
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