OICR and MaRS Phase II

The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) is in a good position to weather the economic downturn, although some of its plans for growth may need to be revised due to a pause in construction on the second phase of the MaRS Centre in Toronto.

OICR is currently implementing an ambitious strategy to establish a centre of excellence in cancer research. Established in 2005 with a $346-million funding commitment from the Government of Ontario, the Institute has grown rapidly and now employs 115 people at the MaRS Centre in Toronto. OICR currently leases four stories of purpose-built space in the south tower of the MaRS Centre, with approximately one-and-a-half stories of this space sub-leased to the Structural Genomics Consortium.

MaRS Discovery District, the private-public partnership that operates the MaRS Centre, has partnered with Alexandria Real Estate Holdings, a U.S.-based developer that specializes in creating new research space, to build the new 15-storey tower. The project will double the size of the MaRS Centre, expanding its state-of-the-art facilities for biotechnology companies and publicly funded research institutes such as OICR. The Institute plans to occupy two storeys of new space in the planned west tower of the MaRS Centre.

Ground broke on the new tower, known as MaRS Phase II, in early 2008. However, the project was put on hold several months later in November 2008, when Alexandria halted construction in response to the economic downturn.

MaRS and Alexandria are now exploring options for re-starting construction. The project was six months ahead of schedule when construction was paused and the site has been “capped” in a manner that will allow for easy resumption of construction. If construction resumes in the next several months, it is possible that the new building will open in 2010, only a few months later than planned.

Recruitment at OICR continues, with the number of staff expected to eventually grow to close to 500. Some of the new recruits will work in OICR’s existing space in the south tower of the MaRS Centre, which includes offices, laboratories and a data centre. Still, the delay in construction will have an impact on OICR’s planned expansion. OICR’s plans for the coming years also involve recruitment of staff to work in laboratories and offices in the new tower. Timelines for the expansion OICR’s Cancer Genomics and Informatics and Bio-computing Platforms may need to be lengthened to accommodate a delay in the opening of MaRS Phase II.

For the most part, however, growth at OICR is expected to proceed according to a Strategic Plan approved by the Government of Ontario in 2007. Existing research capacity in cancer genomics, bio-informatics and medicinal chemistry, as well as all existing OICR programs, will not be affected by a delay in the MaRS Phase II project. The Ontario Cancer Research Ethics Board, the Ontario Cancer Research Fund, OICR’s research commercialization initiatives and all programs related to clinical trials will continue to operate from OICR’s space in the south tower.

Any research programs and platforms that are not located at MaRS will also be unaffected by a delay in the MaRS expansion, and will continue to expand following timelines established in the Strategic Plan. These include initiatives related to imaging, cancer stem cells, viral therapies and a wide range of other fields. Together, the programs not located at MaRS account for 60 per cent of OICR’s research activities.