university of arizona pharmacy building set for big expansion

Up to 21,000 square feet will be added to a pharmaceutical education building on the Tucson campus of the University of Arizona if the project receives final approval from the Arizona Board of Regents.
 
The four-story Skaggs Pharmaceutical Sciences Center at 1703 E. Mabel Street has long been in need of new lab space, according to UA officials.
 
That space would further the school’s toxicology, drug discovery, and pharmacogenics research.
 
Plans also call for some 12,000 square feet in the center to be renovated.
 
The $26 million project will be partly funded with $10 million in matching funds from the nonprofit ASLAM Foundation, $10 million from UA’s central funds; and another $6 million in private donations.
 
The center also houses a unique museum with a replica of a late 19th century pharmacy and a host of bottles, drug containers, and store fixtures from that period.
 
The Regents Board is expected to make a final decision on the project during its February 9th meeting. If the project is approved. work on the pharmacy center could begin later this year with a general completion date of mid-2020.    

By Garry Boulard