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When Cleveland Clinic executives sought to expand the institution's world–renowned reputation for cutting-edge medical research with the addition of a new genomics research building to its campus, they turned to The Ferchill Group, to coordinate the financing, development work and construction.

In cooperation with Cleveland–based MCM Company, The Ferchill Group led the development of the new center that would offer an open lab environment providing efficient and flexible space for hundreds of medical researchers.

We assembled a top–notch team of architects, general contractors and suppliers to design, build and furnish the state–of–the–art, six–story, 150,000–square–foot building. We first had to acquire private property along East 96th street in order to begin the development. The team beat the aggressive 18–month project schedule and completed the project under budget.

Located at East 96th Street and Cedar Avenue as part of the Lerner Research Institute, the new facility significantly expands the Clinic's efforts in human genomics, stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, vital to understanding and treating a number of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, congestive heart failure and skeletal disorders.

The key to the Center's success was a design that offered a flexible mix of lab, storage, equipment and administrative space. This building is 75% laboratory use and 25% office space and can accommodate more than 720 people. There are 14 labs on each floor, offering researchers sit–down lab space with adjustable countertops, mobile tables and administrative space. The modular design of the lab allows the benches to be expanded or reduced as needed. To decrease noise, we added removable lab dividers and a premium acoustic tile ceiling and moved low–temperature, high–noise freezers outside the lab areas. A custom–designed penthouse system through which the HVAC operates — and the installation of centrally–located fume hoods on every floor — makes the building as energy–efficient as possible for a structure of its type.

The facility places the Lerner Research Institute at the forefront of this exciting area of exploration and discovery. By 2010, the Clinic hopes to hire more than 400 scientists to fill the laboratories. The project financing included $7 million in Ohio Third Frontier grants. The remaining $33 million came from the sale of tax–free bonds through the Cleveland–Cuyahoga County Port Authority. The Cleveland Clinic will lease the building for 20 years from The Ferchill Group after which it will assume ownership.