Oxford BioMedica outlines plans for OxBox

Oxford BioMedica has provided more information about its plans for the former Royal Mail sorting office in Oxford.The listed biotech group announced it had acquired the 84,000 sq ft site at Oxford Business Park on a 15-year lease earlier this month. Commercial property agency VSL said it was one the largest deals in Oxfordshire so far this year. The sorting office, formerly known as the Oxford Mail Centre, closed its doors to its 450 workers in June 2009, moving Royal Mail’s sorting operations from the city to Swindon.Oxford Biomedica will move into the office space immediately and will also start working on a two-phase fit out of the building, now renamed OxBix, funded by its £20.5m share placing secured earlier this year.This work will involve the installation of 45,000 sq ft of clean rooms, offices, warehousing and laboratories with space left over for future expansion.Once open, the facility will more than double Oxford Biomedica’s bioprocessing capacity. The plan is to open the new offices and warehouse by the first quarter of next year with the additional GMP suites being ready a year later. Up to 100 highly skilled jobs will be created, adding to the company’s existing 400-strong workforce.The move comes just three years after Oxford BioMedica relocated from The Oxford Science Park to its new headquarters building at Windrush Court, the former British Biotech headquarters building, which provides about 70,000 sq ft of laboratories and offices.Oxford BioMedica also operates from Harrow House which provides predominantly laboratories and they have a separate manufacturing facility at Yarnton.The move is also a boost for landlord DTZ investors which refurbished the building following the departure of Royal Mail.