BioMed Realty Trust, Inc. reported that Illumina, Inc., a world leader in genomics, signed a 15-year lease for a new 360,000 square foot, state-of-the-art, build-to-suit campus in Foster City, California.

Illumina will lease 100 percent of the initial 360,000 square feet. In addition, Illumina has an option to expand the campus with the development of a third building providing at least an additional 160,000 square feet, which would bring the campus to a total of at least 520,000 square feet.

"Employee collaboration and innovation are foundational to Illumina's success. In addition to our new Mission Bay location, this campus will provide us with an opportunity to bring together employees from several different sites as we continue to optimize and grow our presence in the Bay Area," said Marc Stapley, Chief Financial Officer for Illumina. "We also expect this campus will provide stronger ties with our customers and partners, while establishing a state-of-the-art work environment to retain and attract the most talented employees in our industry."

"BioMed Realty is proud that Illumina selected us as their development partner to create their new campus in the San Francisco Bay area," said Alan Gold, Chairman/CEO of BioMed Realty. "Their decision to expand their Bay Area operations into Foster City locates them in the vibrant Peninsula cluster so they can develop new science and technologies at the crossroads of innovative, academic and transformational research. We will partner with Illumina to create a life science campus for Illumina and its employees that is the ideal workplace environment for their continued innovation, success and dynamic growth."

BioMed Realty's campus development is expected to be a world-class facility for Illumina and a model design for life science companies to focus on their research and science.

The new campus in Foster City will include:

• Two Class A laboratory and office buildings totaling 360,000 square feet which are expected to be delivered in 2017;

• Properties which are targeted to receive LEED Gold Certification, employing modern, creative design techniques, sustainable materials, and cutting-edge technology solutions to provide the highest-levels of sustainability and energy efficiency;

• A multitude of amenities including a large central quad with an outdoor amphitheater, playing fields, inviting and creative meeting spaces and other recreational features to allow Illumina employees to live, work and play in an environment that fosters healthy, engaged employee participation; and

• Excellent access to the primary transportation arteries in the Bay Area, Highway 101 and Interstate 280 on the Peninsula and Interstate 880 in the East Bay.

According to the firm, Illumina's expansion at the Foster City campus further validates the San Francisco Peninsula as the core innovation district of the San Francisco Bay area, just north of Stanford University.