Allergan, which makes Botox, will build a nearly $12 million research and development facility in Bridgewater, NJ, the company and the site’s owner, SJP Properties, have announced. After announcing plans to move to New Jersey in November, the multispecialty health care company has signed a lease to open a 93,000-square-foot facility, creating several hundred jobs within the next three to five years.
Allergan will open its facility in Somerset Corporate Center II, a 250,000-square-foot, class A facility owned by SJP. The property is seeking LEED certification as an environmentally friendly building.
“We are extremely confident that Allergan will strongly benefit from this property’s strategic location within the heart of New Jersey’s pharma and tech corridor, offering unparalleled access to a highly skilled labor pool,” said Steven J. Pozycki, CEO of SJP Properties, in a statement.
In September, Gov. Chris Christie met with Allergan officials to discuss the company’s expansion plans and showcase New Jersey as a cornerstone for health care and life sciences. When Allergan agreed to open an R&D center, Christie said it was “the latest indication that the ‘Jersey Comeback’ has begun.”
Based in California, Allergan was awarded a $14.9 million grant from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority through the Business Employment Incentive Program.
The company has a smaller facility in Bedminster, where it employs 20 people. The new, 93,000-square-foot facility will bring nearly 400 new jobs to the state. The company chose the site in New Jersey because of the local talent pool in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, as well as its proximity to hospitals and universities, said spokeswoman Cathy Taylor.
“As a multispecialty health care company, a critical component to our business is the scientific innovation derived from the work of our R&D facilities throughout the United States,” Taylor said. “The expansion of our facility in New Jersey will enable us to further enhance our product pipeline and advance our pursuit of novel medical therapies for patients.”
