Cortex lab space scarce, previously proposed projects could be revived

If you’re a biotech firm looking for a lab in St. Louis' central corridor, you’ll have to get in line. The Cortex Innovation District is full. There is at least one opportunity coming soon for that new lab smell. The crunch is a signal of rising demand, which also could awaken past projects from hibernation.

"Today there's not a single available vacant square foot of lab space in Cortex," Sam Fiorello, President and CEO of the district, tells KMOX. The final spot was claimed by Varro Life Sciences, leaving Cortex at full capacity.

This success presents a pressing issue. "As we're looking to continue to grow local companies, lab companies, and recruit companies from other parts of the country and the world, today, we have nowhere to put them," he says.

Help is coming soon. The former MERS Goodwill headquarters on Forest Park Ave., currently being redeveloped by Washington University, will bring more space to the market in the next few months.