Trammell Crow to develop life sciences campus in Montgomery County

Trammell Crow Company (TCC), a global commercial real estate developer, Monday unveiled plans to develop The Labs at Belward, a world-class life science campus, in the Shady Grove area of Montgomery County.

The Labs at Belward, located at the Belward Campus of The Johns Hopkins University, will initially include 757,000 square feet of trophy lab and research and discovery space across three buildings. The project has the potential to grow to approximately 1.6 million square feet across seven buildings. Construction of the initial 757,000 square feet will begin June 2023 and is slated to be completed in early 2025.

Trammell Crow Company entered a 99-year ground lease with The Johns Hopkins University for approximately 20.62-acres of its Belward Campus. TCC’s objective is to advance the collective vision for a world-class life science, research and development, and biodiscovery campus. This project is another example of the Montgomery County’s 2010 Great Seneca Science Corridor Master Plan to further create a dynamic live/work community that supports the life science industry.

The Labs at Belward will be built to support BSL Category-2 laboratory functions and will include 18-foot deck-to-deck ceiling heights on both the basement and ground floors, with 16-foot heights on all other floors. Each building will incorporate outdoor balconies and terraces, as well as exceptional tenant amenities and supporting retail.

The project, which is designed to achieve LEED Gold standard, will be supported by secured structured parking and will also feature an expansive six-acre public park that will include an amphitheater, recreational fields and two retail pavilions totaling approximately 6,000 square feet. The plan also includes activating large wooded buffer areas, installing several miles of bike and walking trails and preserving the site’s significant natural elements.

CBRE’s dedicated life sciences team, locally, nationally, and globally, are comprehensively managing the marketing and leasing for the project.

Gensler is acting as the architect for the project, while the Clark Construction Group is serving as the General Contractor. Other partners include Soltesz, Inc. (civil), Lerch Early Brewer (land use), James Posey Associates, Inc (MEP), Thornton Tomasetti (structural) and OJB (landscape architecture).