Look inside 4MLK, the University of Maryland BioPark’s new 250k-square-foot life sciences hub

People invested in Baltimore’s biotech sector had plenty to celebrate this week as a long-awaited development finally opened on downtown’s western edge. 

Years of efforts across the University System of Maryland, the real estate industry, local government and a variety of private and nonprofit players led to Wednesday night’s star-studded ribbon-cutting for 4MLK. Even the news that Baltimore was again left off the federal Tech Hubs funding list couldn’t dampen the excitement. 

“We needed bioengineering in Baltimore for a long time, and now we have it,” said University of Maryland, Baltimore President Bruce Jarrell, to much applause. 

Announced back in 2019, the building, named for its address along the thoroughfare separating downtown and West Baltimore, is the latest addition to the University of Maryland BioPark. It offers 250,000 square feet and eight floors of wet lab space, flex offices and other amenities for entities in the life sciences sector — several of which, including Irazú Oncology and ETC Baltimore, have already established offices inside 4MLK’s third-floor Connect Labs space. ETC’s new space, dubbed the ETC Venture Hub, gives its new portfolio companies IndyGeneUS and Gelectric a foothold in UM BioPark.

The launch event kicked off with speeches from Jarrell, Mayor Brandon Scott and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, who all praised this building’s potential to invigorate Baltimore’s economy

Stakeholders from building developer Wexford Science and Technology and public officials like Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman joined UM BioPark staffers and other attendees from throughout Maryland’s tech and innovation ecosystem for a tour of the new facilities.

Scroll down for a behind-the-scenes look.