Bedford local government’s welcoming approach was a big part of the reason why Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical decided to locate a major operation in the town.
Gil Stevens, senior director of capital projects for the 10-year-old California-based firm, told a virtual meeting sponsored by the Middlesex 3 collaborative that “the responsiveness has been absolutely stellar.” Stevens was a guest panelist on a virtual program entitled “Life Sciences and the Move to the Suburbs.”
“Not all communities are like that. We had a number of towns that just not did even respond,” Stevens continued. “The folks in Bedford were just phenomenal — Sarah (Town Manager Sarah Stanton) and Alyssa (Economic Development Director Alyssa Sandoval) coming out to discuss the town’s capabilities.”
He said the corporate leadership at executive headquarters north of San Francisco were aware that “the town was proactive in partnering with us. Getting that business approved is really important.”
Construction has begun on land west of Middlesex Turnpike, not far from the Billerica line. The project is expected to generate thousands of dollars in permitting revenue; so far his office has issued permits for the foundation and shell, said Chris Laskey, Bedford code enforcement officer.
Laskey said the building area is about 100,000 square feet and is scheduled for completion in 2022. He pointed out that in recent years Bedford doesn’t see many new industrial buildings.
That was one of the criteria for Ultragenyx. “We really were looking for a greenfield site and looked at a lot of existing properties, ready to fit our program. We were just thrilled to find this location and not have to make a huge compromise in what we want to do.”
Stevens said the mission of Ultragenyx is “really compelling:” developing new therapies for patients with rare and “ultra-rare” diseases. He called the firm “a very small company with big aspirations.” The website said the firm’s focus is on “serious, debilitating genetic diseases.”
“We enjoy a strong partnership with companies but we need to move quickly and develop products with speed to market,” Stevens said.
He said that from a scientific standpoint, the firm’s manufacturing capability needed a close regional relationship with its research and development group. There’s “a new modality for the industry: the development and delivery of these medicines though clinical trials and how to commercialize and manufacture the products.”
That led to the decision to build in Bedford. Stevens said a “rigorous” site search began a year ago, with 100 initial potential locations. “A big factor was arrival time to our existing operations and that our colleagues felt comfortable driving from site to site, to promote collaboration.” The research facility is in Cambridge and there are other operations in Woburn, he noted.
Initially “we had a goal of less than 30 minutes’ drive time,” Stevens said, adding ruefully, “Before Covid you couldn’t drive two miles in Cambridge in 30 minutes.”
“We really have a wide range of talent needs, everything from entry-level manufacturing jobs to Ph.D. scientists,” Stevens explained, so the location needs to be close to an urban center but outside the city to attract “a mixed and diverse talent pool.”
“We really liked the fact that the Route 3 Corridor provides easy accessibility,” he continued. “People may choose to live in more rural communities. This site gives a choice.”
Stevens said the industry’s expansion in the region means “everybody is looking for talent. So having a relationship with the academic community is critically important. We really need to focus on new colleagues joining the life sciences sector to support that expansion here in eastern Massachusetts.”
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
Click this link to learn more about The Bedford Citizen’s first community reporter.
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