New $300 Million Life Sciences Building Approved in Burlingame

Developers Helios Real Estate Partners and King Street Properties are set to build a 300,000-square foot life sciences building in Burlingame after receiving approval from the Planning Commission. The San Francisco- and Boston-based developers plan to construct an eight-story research building at 1699 Old Bayshore Highway and 825 Mahler Road.

The proposed building will stand 151 feet tall and be situated on 3 acres of land, with 16-foot ceilings and a seven-story parking garage. Initially, the project included a cafe, but it was later removed due to concerns among commissioners. To address these concerns, the developers proposed providing a 6,900-square foot public plaza, sea level-rise infrastructure, public art, and a public trail along Mills Creek.

Commissioners raised questions about the removal of the cafe and limited public parking spots. However, Peter Banzhaf, co-founder of Helios Real Estate Partners explained that they were not willing to include a cafe as a condition of approval but were open to providing more parking to accommodate building users. After much deliberation, the commission settled on the developer providing a minimum of 20 daytime parking stalls and contributing $100,000 towards the upgrade of Old Bayshore Highway frontage.

This project is part of a larger development called The Landing which includes two buildings for research and offices respectively. The timeline for construction has not been disclosed yet but represents an important step in the development of the life sciences industry in Burlingame.