Phoenix leaders must decide whether to give millions of dollars to the University of Arizona for a new project in the downtown bioscience core.
In 2018, Phoenix entered into an agreement giving UA development rights to city-owned property at Seventh and Fillmore streets. The university intends to develop the 2.5 acre site starting with the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies, referred to as CAMI.
Christine Mackay, Phoenix’s economic development director, said the research hub will focus on the body’s own immune system.
“So what CAMI is planned to do is go inside the human body and how do they hyper accelerate what’s already in the human body to fight disease, to be able to to turn it on full throttle if you will, to be able to fight those diseases and move forward," said Mackay.
The estimated $265 million project is expected to break ground by year’s end. The City Council will vote on whether to give UA $16.5 million, along with free rent.
“This is not unlike the other projects we’ve done with Arizona State University. We made a similar investment in the law school, made a similar investment in the Thunderbird program and a similar investment in the Health Solutions campus up along Mayo,” Mackay said.
