STEM CELL INSTITUTE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER FINALISTS FOR HEADQUARTERS SITE

SAN FRANCISCO – The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) will hold the first of three public hearings Wednesday on where its permanent headquarters should be.

At the hearing, CIRM’s Site Search Committee will review a “short list” of proposals that will be investigated further.

“The level of creativity, cooperation, and ingenuity in these proposals is unparalleled,” said Robert Klein, chairman of the Independent Citizen’s Oversight Committee for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. “The response from California’s cities has been overwhelming and we are humbled and extremely appreciative of their willingness and desire to provide world-class facilities for the Institute.”

The hearing will be held at 8 a.m. at the Faculty & Alumni House Dining Room at the University of California, San Francisco, 745 Parnassus Ave. There will be opportunities to attend by teleconference at several other locations throughout the state.

CIRM is conducting an open competition to determine where it will have its permanent headquarters. It has asked local government entities, working in partnership with building owners, to provide 17,000 square feet of office space at little or no cost, along with other amenities. This will minimize the institute’s overhead, allowing more money to go to stem cell research.

An evaluation team of CIRM and California Department of General Services (DGS) staff has analyzed 10 proposals submitted by the March 16 deadline to determine whether they fully meet the requirements CIRM set out in its request for proposal. The evaluation team has also assigned preliminary scores. Based on its analysis, the joint CIRM-DGS evaluation team recommends these four proposals (in alphabetical order):

Emeryville/5858 Horton Street
Sacramento/One Capitol Mall
San Diego/11025 North Torrey Pines Road
San Francisco/250 King Street

Prior to opening the bids, the evaluation team developed an evaluation plan and scoring document. The plan was reviewed by members of the Site Selection Committee from different regions of the state to ensure that it is fair to all regions.

The evaluation and scoring of each bid was done by consensus of the six evaluation team members—three from CIRM and three from DGS. At Wednesday’s meeting, the Site Selection Committee will discuss and consider the staff recommendations. It will also determine the process for conducting site visits in advance of its next meeting on May 2.

Those unable to attend at the main meeting location in San Francisco may instead attend via teleconference at one of these locations:

Duarte
City of Hope
N-116 Administrative Conference Room
Needleman Building
1500 E. Duarte Road

Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
Room 17-187 CHS
David Geffen School of Medicine
10833 Le Conte Ave

Sacramento
Sacramento Medical Center
Cancer Breakout Room
4150 X Street

Madera
Children’s Hospital Central California
Room G-155, Garden Level
9300 Children’s Blvd.

La Jolla
Burnham Institute
Administrative Conference Room, Bldg. 4
10901 N. Torrey Pines Road
 

At their May 2 meeting, members will recommend a first choice location and a backup choice. The recommendation will then go to the full Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee; the stem cell institute’s governing board, for a final decision May 6. Note to media: Following the Committee meeting, members of the Site Search Committee as well as DGS representatives will be available for comment.

CIRM Contact:

Nicole Pagano (510) 450-2418
Adam Silber (510) 450-2418

DGS Contact:

Matt Bender (916) 376-5038