January 30, 2017
Children's will go for a record during groundbreaking for its $300M tower
Seattle Children's Research Institute will break ground Thursday on Building Cure, a $300 million tower at 1920 Terry Ave. in the Denny Triangle neighborhood.
The groundbreaking ceremony is set for 11 a.m., and Seattle Children's said the event will include an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the most people simultaneously conducting a DNA isolation experiment.
When Building Cure opens in 2019, the 540,000-square-foot building will nearly double the institute's space.
More than 1,500 workers now occupy 607,000 square feet in six buildings, including the adjacent 1915 Terry Ave. building and space at Seattle Children's main hospital campus in Laurelhurst.
Scientists at Building Cure will develop cures and treatments for kids with diseases, including immunotherapy, which reprograms human immune systems to fight cancer.
A manufacturing center in the building called the Cure Factory will turn lab discoveries into cell therapies for patients using immunotherapy and gene therapy.
A teaching lab and classrooms called the Science Discovery Lab is designed to inspire children and teens to pursue STEM-related careers, according to the institute.
Building Cure will also have indoor and outdoor community spaces, including a cafe and a 225-seat auditorium for scientific discussions. There will be four underground levels: three with parking and one for research space.
The design team is led by Flad Architects and Aedas. Lease Crutcher Lewis is the general contractor and Andrew Clapham & Associates is in charge of project management.
Engineers are: Affiliated Engineers NW, mechanical/electrical/plumbing; KPFF Consulting Engineers, structural; and Magnusson Klemencic Associates, civil. Gustafson Guthrie Nichol was listed in documents filed with the city.
More information is at seattlechildrens.org/buildingcure.