LIC is NYC’s Destination for Innovation.
LIC is the best place for life sciences developers and companies to grow in NYC.
LIC is a unique mixed-used, live-work neighborhood that offers a vibrant community and an urban model of collaboration that attracts a talented workforce and fosters cross-sector partnerships. LIC's prime location, quality of life, key real estate opportunities and business incentives, as well as access to regional talent and transportation make it an ideal destination for NYC's growing innovation sectors, including the life sciences.
Click on the sections below to learn more about six key factors that make LIC the perfect place for developers and companies to plant a foothold and grow in NYC.
Cluster / Quality of Life / Real Estate / Incentives / Workforce / Transportation
CLUSTER
LIC Innovation Cluster
Companies in the innovation economy, especially life sciences and tech, tend to thrive when they are located in clusters. Destination clusters offer proximity to other like-minded companies; access to a large pool of skilled workers,; affiliations and partnerships with area universities; and exposure to venture capital. As New York's larger life sciences cluster grows, LIC, with its easy access to existing life sciences assets, is clearly on track to become a key destination. Currently, LIC has three major life sciences buildings hosting and welcoming innovative companies in this sector while more are being planned. Based on the asset availability, our 2018 Life Sciences Feasibility Study concluded that LIC may be the only area in NYC that can accommodate a substantial life sciences cluster that includes spaces for companies at all stages of growth.
Check out the In The News section for the latest announcements as LIC's life sciences cluster expands.
Project | Developer | Address | Square Feet |
Alexandria Center LIC | 30-02 48th Avenue | 180k sf. | |
Innolabs | 45-18 Court Square West | 267k sf. | |
Alexandria Center LIC 2 | Alexandria Real Estate Equities | 47-50 30th Street | 135k sf. |
Hatch Life Sciences | 43-10 23rd Street | 218k sf. |
LIC is witnessing an emerging life sciences cluster growing within its collaborative mix of tech, media, and advanced manufacturing. Let us welcome you to grow your business here and join our major tenants and employers across industries, including: 3DBio, Altice USA, Boyce Technologies, Inc., Centene, DeppGlass, Doughnut Plant, Estee Lauder, J.Crew/Madewell, JetBlue, Kaufman Astoria Studios, Lady M Confections Co., Ltd., Lyft, Macy's/Bloomingdales, MANA Products, Nouveau Elevator, Silvercup Studios, The New York Times, The Wirecutter, Uber, VaynerMedia, and WeWork.
Company Spotlight:
3DBio Therapeutics is a biologics and bioprinting company with a focus on regenerative medicine that precision-manufactures living tissues (think spinal discs, ear and nose cartilage) to allow replacement of each individual patient’s parts with tissues designed and created specifically for them. Recently, 3DBio began helping COVID-19 response efforts through manufacture of PAPR Devices for medical use under their subsidiary American PAPR. Dr. Dan Cohen, CEO and Co-founder, moved the company from Ithaca, NY down to Long Island City so he could attract and retain the most talented engineers and scientists in the region. “The commutes were easy from all over the city, even from New Jersey. The space we found was affordable and had the zoning to let us build the lab we needed to grow the company.”
QUALITY OF LIFE
The LIC neighborhood offers an authentic mixed-use urban character rich in cultural offerings including events, amenities, and a growing array of retail and healthy-living services. Continued public and private investment in the neighborhood has aided in the expansion of community facilities, fostering a dynamic, walkable neighborhood with high quality public spaces, greenways, bike paths, and public art.
LIC is the perfect place to live, work, learn, and create.
50+ K-12 Schools of 40 public elementary, middle, and high schools and another 11 private and charter schools
40+ Arts & Culture Organizations, including museums, galleries, and performing arts spaces that put LIC at the center of New York's cultural conversation
40+ Health and fitness options, including rock climbing, yoga, martial arts and more
20+ Parks, Playgrounds, and Community Gardens with over 145 acres of green space
10+ Major Nonprofits and Community Organizations
3 Higher Education Institutions in the area: Cornell Tech, CUNY Law, and LaGuardia Community College
Interactive Amenities Map
Use this interactive map to learn more about the different community retail, schools, services and amenities within LIC.
REAL ESTATE
LIC Real Estate:
LIC offers lower land costs than most of Manhattan, which can translate into lower rents for tenants. LIC also has a rich portfolio of historic industrial buildings and more existing building stock and development sites that are appropriately zoned for life sciences uses. Furthermore, a number of additional incentives are available for companies that relocate here, and many sites fall within the Federal Opportunity Zones.
It’s not only commercial and lab space that’s growing here, however. As evidenced by LIC’s rapidly changing skyline - residential, retail, office, and hotel development are on the rise. There’s no doubt that LIC is the city’s fastest-growing neighborhood.
Life Sciences in LIC:
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), an urban office REIT and the first, longest-tenured and pioneering owner, operator and developer uniquely focused on collaborative life science, technology and agtech campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, acquired two buildings in Long Island City to create “highly flexible and amenity-rich life science step-up space.” ARE’s first project, a 186,000 square foot redevelopment at 30-02 48th Avenue, is the Alexandria Center® - Long Island City. The former Prestone Press building at 47-50 30th Street will be the next phase of ARE’s Long Island City campus.
King Street Properties, a Boston-area life sciences developer and owner, teamed up with GFP Real Estate to develop 263K sf. of state-of-the-art life sciences space at Court Square called Innolabs. The existing building, 45-18 Court Square West, was expanded with a new wing and houses life sciences companies of various sizes. Newmark Knight Frank is marketing the space, which came online in 2021.
“That an experienced life sciences developer from Boston would choose LIC for their first project in New York speaks to the neighborhood’s strength as a hub for innovation and economic development.”
– Kathryn S. Wylde, President & CEO, Partnership for New York City
Innolabs Informational Video:
Interactive Map:
In addition to the Life Sciences projects currently underway, which you can explore in the interactive map below. Throughout the neighborhood there are new and renovated buildings and vacant land that have potential for Life Sciences uses, including large-scale sites particularly along the Waterfront.
LIC Neighborhood Data:
In addition to growing Life Sciences, Long Island City is a neighborhood with growth in all sectors. The LIC Partnership tracks data on economic development and the community, producing Neighborhood Snapshots, which provide key insights into our dynamic, mixed-use, livable community. Learn more about Planning and Development in Long Island City.
Major new tenants like Altice USA, Centene, Estée Lauder, Macy's/Bloomingdales, and The New York Timesjoin innovative employers across industries such as Boyce Technologies Inc., DeppGlass, Doughnut Plant, J.Crew/Madewell, JetBlue Airways, Kaufman Astoria Studios, LaGuardia Community College, MANA Products, Nouveau Elevator, Silvercup Studios, VaynerMedia, and WeWork.
INCENTIVES
Incentives:
With the combined $1.15 billion in life sciences initiatives offered by New York State and New York City and the existing incentives for projects locating outside Manhattan’s central business district, a wide array of resources (tax credits and reductions, rent abatements, grants and loans, and energy cost reductions) make locating and operating in LIC even more financially attractive.
LICP has its own Business Assistance department that is happy to assist you find space, connect to financing, or coordinate government approval and services. Contact us at: lifesci@licpartnership.org.
View the Business Assistance Brochure
Business Assistance Program (LICP): assistance available for local business owners
BIR, ECSP (Con Edison): for energy efficiency in equipment and for energy reduction
Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (Con Edison): for energy efficiency measures
Commercial Expansion Program (City): for improving or building new space
Empire State Capital Funds (State): for improving or building new space, acquiring equipment, and training
Excelsior Jobs Program (State): for creating new jobs
Green Infrastructure Program (City): for including eco-friendly measures in new building projects
IDA Life Sciences Program (City): for improving or building out new lab space
Industrial Business Zone Relocation Credit (City): for industrial and manufacturing companies relocating to an IBZ
Industrial & Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP) (City): for improving or building out new space
Qualified Emerging Technology Company Employment Credit (State): for technology companies growing jobs
Qualified Emerging Technology Company Capital Credit (State): for investments in technology companies
Relocation and Employment Assistance Program (REAP) (City): companies relocating to LIC are eligible
R&D Tax Credit (Federal): for companies increasing research expenditures
SBA Loans (Federal): for small-business growth, hiring, equipment, and real estate
In addition, much of LIC’s waterfront and M-zoned sites are within Federal Opportunity Zones and many more programs may be available for particular projects.
TALENT & WORKFORCE
Access to a diverse and qualified workforce is the #1 factor life sciences companies consider when deciding where to locate. With its premier universities and teaching hospitals, the New York region has become the largest market for life sciences talent in the country. JLL’s 2021 Life Sciences Outlook reports that our region has proven itself as a top spot to access this talent and LIC's geographic location and rich transportation network make it extremely accessible to this premiere workforce.
Long Island City Community:
LIC, with its growing residential population and workforce, is an enticing live/work/play community, attracting innovative industries and companies who want to tap into its workforce. Even if one doesn't live in LIC, its comprehensive transportation connections and central location make for easy commuting, whether you are a recent graduate living in Brooklyn or senior-level management located in the suburbs.
LIC also offers opportunities to connect with educational partners like Cornell Tech, a leader in Health Tech with a new campus only a short ferry ride away on Roosevelt Island, and LaGuardia Community College, providing diverse programs such as Lab Tech training, Public and Community Health, Computer Programming, and many more. We are happy to connect you to our neighborhood partners, who can work with you in creating specialized training and internship opportunities. LIC’s numerous tech high schools are also great sources for building new talent.
Explore our Cluster and Transportation sections to see just how close LIC is to other top research institutions in Manhattan such as Weill Cornell Medicine, Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and more.
For more detailed information on local demographics, click here.
TRANSPORTATION & ACCESS
Transportation & Access:
Even New Yorkers are surprised at how fast and easy transit access is from LIC to other parts of NYC, areas of New York and the world! Whether traveling to or from the East Side Medical Corridor, the surrounding suburbs, New York City's airports, or any other destination, you won't find a location that is more equally accessible by public transit to all as LIC. Whether coming by car, train, moped, or Citibike, LIC remains conveniently connected.
Regional Connections:
Through LIRR, MetroNorth, NJ Transit, and PATH trains, LIC is accessible to the wider NYC metro area, which ranked number one in the country for the number of engineers, biochemists & biophysicists, and chemists.
Long Island City Connections:
For more specific information on some of our options:
Subways: 7 - E - F - G - M - N - R - W
Commuter Lines: LIRR
Ferry Service: NYCFerry
NYC Airports: LGA Airport - JFK Airport
New York City Life Sciences Cluster Connections:
This resource was made possible in part by a grant from Empire State Development, through the New York City Regional Economic Development Council.