Plans Unveiled for $132M Biomanufacturing Facility in Maple Grove
A unique type of manufacturing facility that promises to bolster national security initiatives is coming to Maple Grove.
On Tuesday, nonprofit BioMADE announced that it plans to build a $132 million “biomanufacturing” facility in the northwestern Minneapolis suburb. The 122,000-square-foot facility will provide space for other businesses to pilot novel technologies and products derived from living things like plants, bacteria, or fungi.
“Bioindustrial manufacturing has the power to create or improve needed defense materials,” such as temperature-resistant foams, anti-corrosive lubricants, and more, said BioMADE chief manufacturing officer Jack Starr said in an email. These types of products are often sourced from overseas.
“The main feedstock for this facility will be dextrose from corn,” Starr added. “Potential microorganisms that could be used at the facility include bacteria, yeast, and fungi, to make fermented products.”
BioMADE is a public-private coalition that was initially launched by the U.S. Department of Defense in October 2020. The group’s members include giants such as Cargill and Lockheed Martin.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is providing $50 million for the Maple Grove facility, while the Department of Defense is covering the remainder.
BioMADE officials say the new facility will bring “well-paying jobs to the region,” though it will employ just 25 at the outset. “This number could grow depending on demand,” Starr said.
The Maple Grove facility, which will be BioMADE’s first, is set to be “mechanically complete” no later than mid-2027, Starr said.
When finished, the facility will feature two 25,000-liter industrial fermenters, designed to enable “companies of all sizes to take their processes to the next level as they march toward full-scale commercial manufacturing,” BioMADE officials said in a news release.
And though the plant could one day play a critical role in building products for national defense, the technologies that come out of it might benefit consumer-oriented industries, too. “In addition to providing key defense capabilities, bioindustrial manufacturing secures consumer supply chains for products like plant-based fabrics, detergents, paints and coatings, adhesives, beauty and personal care items, and bioplastics,” Starr noted.
BioMADE purchased the property at 7500 Meridian Circle North for $16.5 million, according to an electronic certificate of real estate value submitted April 17. Where many commercial properties have been selling at discounted prices, this industrial property actually increased in price since it last traded hands: An entity tied to Edina-based distressed real estate firm Onward Investors last purchased the facility in 2022 for $12.56 million.
The BioMADE facility will have some prominent neighbors in Maple Grove. Boston Scientific is working on a 400,000-square-foot campus in the city, while British arms manufacturer BAE Systems is planning its own 200,000-square-foot there.
“Maple Grove is an emerging science and technology hub in the area with education and workforce development opportunities nearby,” Starr said.
