The Richard King Mellon Foundation has announced a $100 million commitment to the University of Pittsburgh to establish an anchor bioresearch and development facility on Hazelwood Green.

To be disbursed in $10 million increments over ten years, the largest gift for a single project in the foundation’s history will be used to create the University of Pittsburgh BioForge on the former industrial site near downtown Pittsburgh that RKMF — in partnership with the Heinz Endowments and Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation — is redeveloping into a center for innovation and economic development. The highly specialized biomanufacturing facility will help advance new cell and gene therapies and other novel treatments by providing the university’s research teams as well as commercial and research partners with high-tech manufacturing capabilities and wet lab and other innovation and incubation space. It also will provide easy access to Pitt’s established research environment and clinical activities at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Current plans for Pitt BioForge envision a 200,000-250,000-square-foot facility equipped to perform the most advanced biomanufacturing processes with the purpose of bringing every stage of the life sciences innovation process under one roof. Pitt research projects that will be relocated to BioForge include those in the areas of gene and engineered cell therapy, microneedle and other novel therapeutics and delivery technologies, and the development of micro- and nano-antibodies. With funding from the university and industry partners, the facility will bring together clinical, research, and academic capabilities to offer opportunities for early-stage and established companies as well as residents of Hazelwood and surrounding communities.

“If COVID-19 taught us anything, it’s that we need to discover and manufacture healthcare advances right here at home,” said Richard King Mellon Foundation director Sam Reiman. “And we are even more eager to lead in this sector because of its potential to generate family-sustaining job opportunities that are accessible to all our communities.”

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