Georgia Tech Breaks Ground on Science Square – Announces Fund Connecting Local Community to Job Training and Educational Resources

Georgia Tech partnered with Trammell Crow Company (TCC) to set the foundation stone for Science Square. This exciting new project will be a purpose-built district dedicated to biomedical research and technology – the first of its kind in Atlanta. Atlanta is a hub of talent focused on discovering fundamental medical solutions to save and improve lives, while Science Square attracts brilliant innovators and researchers from around the world.

As part of this project, TCC is awarding a $500,000 community educational grant to support job training, education and service. Through this grant, Science Square will partner with schools in the Washington and Douglas clusters to support life science education through advanced tools, professional development and engaging student experiences. The grant funds scholarships for local residents to earn an associate degree in bioscience technology from Atlanta Metropolitan College and the training credentials community members need to work in these industries.

This infrastructure marks the first step toward encouraging Atlanta to become a center for life sciences and biomedical innovation. This development is a key development in cementing Atlanta as a major source of talent in this sector, not only attracting thought leaders from around the world, but also leveraging these resources to build those leaders in our own communities.

“Historically, Atlanta has not had the same success with life science startups as other areas of technology,” said Georgia Tech President Angel Cabera. “Sometimes great ideas and companies that start in this city end up elsewhere because Atlanta fails to provide the rich and dense biomedical innovation ecosystem that biotech entrepreneurs need to attract talent and develop their ideas into marketable solutions. New growth is changing that dynamic.”

Science Square’s goal is to be a key deciding factor for entrepreneurs coming out of Georgia Tech and other universities to stay in Atlanta because of the wealth of talent and other resources that will help them succeed. Reflecting on what we have experienced with the Covid-19 pandemic, President Cabrera says we owe a lot to medical innovation and hope that Science Square will be a source of similar solutions in the future.

This growth demonstrates how Georgia Tech continues to grow and expand its reach with the help of public and private partnerships. “As we have done in the past, we will repurpose the unique assets of a leading research university to spur innovation, create new economic opportunity and help transform the cities around us,” said President Cabera.

By collaborating with private sector partners like TCC, the institute has been able to combine its vision and assets with the power of private capital to execute its mission.

“This underscores a central focus for the entire University System of Georgia, and this is our commitment to maintaining and improving the relationship between our world-class public colleges and universities and the economic success of the state and all Georgians,” said Chancellor Sonny Perdue. “We’ve seen what Georgia Tech has accomplished at Tech Square, and I look forward to seeing Science Square grow into the nation’s best research and innovation resource for the life sciences.”

Science Square will be built on the south side of the Georgia Tech campus and in a part of our city that has traditionally been deprived of development and investment. Key outcomes from our experience with Tech Square highlight what our investments and developments can do to revitalize an urban district.

This 18-acre development will be a mixed-use community featuring residential and commercial space and a district dedicated to biomedical research and technology. The first phase of development at Science Square will include TCC’s Science Square Labs, an approximate 364,740 square foot Class A laboratory/office tower. The first phase will also include a 280-unit residential building developed by TCC’s multifamily branch, High Street Residential (HSR). The building, HSR’s first residential development in Atlanta, will include shared parking and ground-floor retail space.