Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon has proposed creating a downtown biomedical district that would facilitate the growth of medical and research efforts in the Valley.

The proposed Phoenix Biomedical District is a 120-acre parcel stretching from Seventh Avenue to Seventh Street between Fillmore and Van Buren Streets.

The area is already home to many biomedical institutions, including the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), International Genomics Consortium (IGC), Arizona Biomedical Collaborative, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix in collaboration with Arizona State University, and an ASU College of Nursing downtown campus. These institutions are located at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, a 28-acre site on the east end of the proposed district.

An expanded biomedical district could help in recruiting companies and research groups downtown.

It could also help facilitate a compromise in the debate over which hospital system should partner with the UA College of Medicine, as a larger district would allow for multiple hospitals to build facilities near the medical school.

---

For more information:

"Gordon proposes medical district," Arizona Republic, 01/29/2007

"Diagnosis for growth," Arizona Republic, 02/15/2007