Press Releases

Torrey Pines employees start moving into Tradition complex

TRADITION — Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies is in the process of moving to the $40 million complex in Tradition this week and should be up and running fully in February.

Employees have boxed items and movers are transporting things to the Port St. Lucie location from Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, where they have been working since May 2007.

Some employees will start work in the new building early next week. Others will continue in Fort Pierce until February.

"Our chemists and biologists need to work in a quiet environment, so it's better for them if they wait to move into the new building," said Torrey Pines President Richard Houghten.

All scientists and equipment will be in the new building during the first week of February. A grand opening ceremony is scheduled at the building Jan. 31. It is invitation-only, Houghten said, because the space cannot accommodate a lot of people.

"I think this is almost the sense of amazement," said Houghten about the move into the new facility. "We are excited, and the way the community got the building permit and put up the building so fast is incredible. This has been very nicely done. It's exciting and I'm stunned.

Suffolk Construction Co. announced the completion of the 100,000-square-foot facility in late September — almost four months ahead of the scheduled date of January.

For St. Lucie County, Torrey Pines' new facility is the first step for a group of biotechnology companies at the Florida Center for Innovation at Tradition.

"This means more jobs for our local residents in a new industry. Our whole thrust is to bring in high-rate paying and stable jobs for our residents," said Port St. Lucie Mayor Patricia Christensen. "Torrey Pines is the first of many in the biotech industry and a piece of the puzzle in changing the whole economic structure in our city."

The California-based Mann Research Center plans to build a $100 million, 400,000-square-foot life sciences complex next to Torrey Pines, and Oregon Health & Science University's Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute announced in January of 2007 that it would move to the area as well.