Approving the Seventh Amendment to the Lease Agreement with Mill Creek Life Sciences, Inc. for the expansion of its leased premises within the BioBusiness Center and extension of the lease term through September 30, 2031, effective October 1, 2026.

Mill Creek Life Sciences, Inc. is an existing tenant within the City-owned BioBusiness Center and has operated within the facility under a lease agreement originally established in 2011 and subsequently amended as the company’s operations and space needs have evolved.

Mill Creek Life Sciences is a Rochester-based biotechnology company founded in 2010 from technology developed at Mayo Clinic. The company develops and manufactures products and technologies that support the development of cell-based and biologic therapies. Mill Creek’s products are manufactured at its cGMP facility in Rochester and have been used globally to support thousands of patients. Mill Creek currently leases approximately 12,873 rentable square feet within the BioBusiness Center across Suites 102, 202, 203, 205, and 209. The current lease term expires September 30, 2026.

Mill Creek has requested additional space within the facility to accommodate its continued operations and growth. City staff and Mill Creek have negotiated a Seventh Amendment to the Lease Agreement that would add approximately 5,071 rentable square feet in Suite 303. With the expansion, Mill Creek would lease a total of approximately 17,944 rentable square feet within the BioBusiness Center.

The amendment would also extend Mill Creek’s lease for five years, beginning October 1, 2026, and continuing through September 30, 2031.
The expansion premises will be accepted by Mill Creek in its existing “as-is” condition. Any improvements, alterations, or other work necessary to accommodate Mill Creek’s use of the additional space will be completed at the tenant’s sole cost and expense and remain subject to the City’s applicable review and approval requirements.

Approval of the amendment supports the continued occupancy and expansion of an existing life sciences company within the BioBusiness Center while securing a five-year lease commitment for approximately 17,944 rentable square feet.

The proposed amendment supports continued utilization of the City-owned BioBusiness Center and provides space for the continued operation and expansion of an existing Rochester life sciences company. No specific DEI impacts have been identified as part of the proposed lease amendment.

February 23, 2011: Original lease agreement established between the City and Mill Creek Life Sciences.
2014–2025: The lease was amended periodically to address changes in Mill Creek’s leased premises, lease terms, and related operating provisions.
August 1, 2025: Mill Creek’s exercise of its first renewal option was memorialized, extending the existing lease term through September 30, 2026.

Beginning October 1, 2026, Mill Creek will lease approximately 17,944 rentable square feet within the BioBusiness Center under a five-year lease extension through September 30, 2031. Base rent will begin at approximately $33,705 per month ($22.54 per square foot annually) and increase annually to approximately $37,937 per month ($25.37 per square foot) in the final year. Mill Creek will also continue to pay its applicable share of building operating expenses. The expansion space will be accepted as-is, with Mill Creek responsible for the cost of any tenant improvements or alterations and no City-funded tenant improvement allowance.

No alternative action suggested at this time.