Statement from Mayor Dyer regarding the Burnham announcement:

What a way to celebrate Burnham’s 30th anniversary… establish an east coast headquarters in a city once known only for tourism, but is fast-becoming known for a mix of high-tech, life sciences and biomedical industries.

Today’s announcement is a testament to this community’s hard work and collaboration, diversifying our economy and solidifying a life sciences cluster in the City of Orlando.

Nearly a decade ago, the City of Orlando made an $80 million investment to build roads and infrastructure at Lake Nona, this now allows us all to envision a medical cluster with pharmaceutical, biotech and medical research firms, all anchored by the UCF Medical School, the possibility of a VA Hospital… and now, the Burnham Institute for Medical Research.

The opportunities presented by Burnham’s presence in Orlando along with the City’s vision to diversify the economy – is now becoming a reality. The new east coast headquarters for Burnham will not only infuse billions into our local economy, but will provide additional healthcare options for our growing population.

Their expansion to the City of Orlando will play a critical role in enabling Burnham to make further breakthrough discoveries that could conquer disease and further their research related to Alzheimer's disease, heart disease and several forms of cancer. For citizens, the new east coast headquarters for Burnham will not only infuse billions into our local economy, but will provide additional healthcare options for our growing population.

Couple that with the smart growth Orlando is experiencing in the southeast corridor, with15 major mixed-use developments planned including residential, office and retail, 500 bio-technology companies who already call Central Florida home, and the UCF medical school, our region has the essential components necessary for a top-tier life sciences cluster, that future employees of Burnham will be proud to call home.

Again, I want to thank and recognize all of the community partners that have come together to bring this opportunity to the residents of our region. Welcome home to the City of Orlando!

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