Local News Video: New Biotech Labs for Charlottesville

The historic former home of Coca-Cola in Charlottesville is getting a new high-tech future. Monday morning, the city announced a major development will fill the space on Preston Avenue with labs and research companies. This project is a first for the city.



Citycampus Biotechnology Center will begin transforming the 72-year-old former soda bottling plant into state-of-the-art labs. The city and Virginia Biotechnology Association presented the plans Monday morning.

Citycampus Center will be the first fully-equipped wet lab space in Charlottesville - labs where researchers can test chemicals, drugs, and biological materials. Indoor Biotechnologies Incorporated is buying the building from Coke and will be the lead tenant in Citycampus.

The United Kingdom based company sells allergy and asthma products and services around the world.

Indoor Biotechnologies President Martin Chapman said, "If we provide space for expansion, we can clearly develop more of that industry and hopefully recruit biotech companies to come from other parts of the state, which would be terrific."

The project to rehabilitate the 1939-era Coca Cola building will cost Indoor Biotechnologies $3-$5 million and will take about two years to finish. At full-build out, the facility will create 110-150 high-tech, high-paying jobs.

The city expects the project will keep UVA research spin-off companies in Charlottesville.

Click here for the video link: http://www.nbc29.com/category/175568/video-landing-page?clipId=5701013&autostart=true