The City of High Point is getting a new project that could bring 1,600 jobs and further enhance the city’s reputation as a place for biotech companies to locate.
Details of the newly proposed 1.3-million-square-foot “Oasis Center” biotech campus were presented on Tuesday, May 28 at the High Point Planning and Zoning Commission, where a rezoning request got approval. Other requests related to the project will go before the High Point City Council on Monday, June 3, but – with such a highly desirable project in the works – that City Council meeting is expected to be relatively smooth sailing.
The biotech campus, which would include a residential component so researchers could live on-site, would be used largely for new drug development and testing as well as for other biotech purposes.
The project, to be located on Gallimore Dairy Road, is being developed by Dr. Adam Mjalli, who’s been responsible for several very successful biotech companies in High Point.
On Wednesday, May 29, High Point Economic Development Corp. President Loren Hill said he was delighted about the plans – particularly given that Mjalli is the one behind the new biotech center.
“Our office has worked with Dr. Mjalli over the years,” Hill said, adding that Mjalli had started up several companies that created jobs in High Point, expanded and were eventually bought out by larger companies.
Hill said the relationship between Mjalli and the city goes back more than two decades.
“We are very familiar with Dr. Mjalli,” Hill said.
Hill added that, years ago, Mjalli served on the board that oversees the High Point Economic Development Corp.
Hill also said that this planned campus is very exciting for the region given that there’s a real desire to enhance the area’s reputation as a place for Life Sciences. He said biotech is one of the target business sectors for the local economic development community.
“I am expecting we will see some national recognition if this park develops and fills out as anticipated,” Hill said. “It will enhance the region’s reputation.”
