Roanoke Seeks $5M State Funding for Biotech Clean Rooms 🧪

Roanoke officials are pushing for $5 million in state funding to build clean rooms in a new biotech incubator on South Jefferson Street. The site, a former Carilion Clinic building, is undergoing renovations to house shared lab space, expected to open by late 2025. Governor Glenn Youngkin and the Virginia House of Delegates included the funding in their budget proposals, but the Senate removed it. Local leaders, including Roanoke Economic Development Director Marc Nelson, continue to advocate for its approval. Clean rooms are vital for biotech manufacturing, especially for cell and gene therapy companies, a sector Roanoke hopes to attract. The city must secure an anchor tenant and match the funding to move forward. Meanwhile, a smaller modular clean room at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, funded by GO Virginia and private investment, is set to open in March. The final decision on state funding is expected by February 22 as lawmakers finalize the budget.