Sanofi Moving 2,700 Staffers From the Boston Suburbs to Cambridge Crossing

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Paris-based Sanofi signed the lease on two buildings yet to be built in East Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sanofi is the state’s largest life science employer and plans to shift 2,700 staffers into the two buildings at Cambridge Crossing.

Cambridge Crossing is a redevelopment project on a former railyard on the border of Boston and Cambridge. Construction on the buildings will begin soon. Cambridge Crossing is being developed by DivcoWest. The company stated, “This news is a step forward for Cambridge Crossing as we look to fulfill our collective goal to design and create a vibrant, state-of-the-art mixed-use community authentically integrated into the East Cambridge neighborhood and for the benefit of the surrounding area.”

Sanofi expects to open the buildings in late 2021 or early 2022. The two buildings will have a combined 900,000 square feet of space.

The company notes it is not adding jobs but taking staffers from several locations in Cambridge and various Boston suburbs and moving them to the centralized site in Cambridge.

“Our new Sanofi site will further anchor us in this unique ecosystem of innovators for years to come,” stated Bill Sibold, Sanofi’s executive vice president. “Cambridge Crossing is a critical investment in our infrastructure and our people, and the move will allow us to reimagine the way we work together to develop transformative treatments for patients.”

Earlier this year, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, the biggest landlord in Cambridge, with more than 4 million square feet of office and laboratory space in the Kendall Square area, announced it was expanding its Alexandria LaunchLabs into the East Cambridge area.

Alexandria LaunchLabs is a full-service life science startup platform. Companies that qualify for the site have access to seed capital and mentorship via the Alexandria Seed Capital Platform, a new funding model. It will attempt to introduce life science leaders and venture capitalists to startups.

Joel Marcus, chairman, chief executive officer and founder of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, stated in April, “Cambridge is one of the most innovative and diverse life science and technology ecosystems in the world, and we have spent two decades creating vibrant and collaborative communities on our campuses to drive the discovery and development of treatments and cures for patients.”

Before settling on the Cambridge Crossing location, Sanofi spent several months evaluating other sites, including office space MIT is building in Kendall Square, real estate in Allston where Harvard University is placing a research campus, and locations in the Seaport District.

The Boston Globe reports that Sanofi will be moving approximately 1,200 staffers from a new building it just moved into at 50 Binney Street in Kendall Square when the new buildings open. They aren’t sure what Sanofi will do with the lease on about 250,000 square feet at 50 Binney Street, but since Kendall Square is one of the most in-demand real estate markets in the world for life science companies, it shouldn’t be a problem finding tenants to sublease the space.

Sanofi is also exiting a site on Memorial Drive near the Boston University Bridge. It may shift employees from up to eight other facilities throughout the region into the new offices.

However, it expects to keep manufacturing operations in Framingham. The new locations won’t include drug manufacturing operations but will house about 1,000 people in research and development, 1,500 people from its Sanofi-Genzyme division, and about 200 corporate and administrative staff.