Alachua and Progress Park: Biotech and Industrial Space
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Downtown Gainesville, looking southwest from SE 1st Avenue, November 2021.
Alachua FL Progress Park commercial real estate is built around biotech and tech space. UF Innovate lists Sid Martin Biotech at 32,546 square feet in Progress Park, with 25 wet labs and 13 active biotech companies. Nearby, San Felasco Tech City offers tech and light manufacturing space.
Sid Martin Biotech is the lab anchor
UF Innovate lists Sid Martin Biotech at 12085 Research Dr, Alachua, FL 32615. It reports 32,546 square feet, 25 wet labs and 13 active biotech companies.
Those numbers describe one building, not all of Progress Park. Labs cluster because a wet lab needs plumbing, ventilation and power that ordinary office space lacks. If you own a building here, a lab-ready floor plan sets it apart.
My lab space guide covers what wet and dry lab tenants ask for.
San Felasco Tech City offers 2,500 up to 210,000 square feet
San Felasco Tech City says it offers 2,500 up to 210,000 square feet of tech space. Light manufacturing, wet labs and dry labs are all available, per its site.
The same site lists 252 single-family homes. It says the property is adjacent to a 7,200-acre natural preserve, the San Felasco Hammock. A startup that needs 2,500 square feet and a much larger user can both look there.
These are the developer's own claims, with no date on the page. Ask what is open today.
Ben E. Keith is a dated event
WCJB reported in January 2025 that a 707,000-square-foot distribution center by Ben E. Keith was set to come to Alachua County. The outlet cited 400 new jobs and an opening in fall 2026.
That report is from one outlet and is now more than a year old. I can't tell you from it whether the center has opened. Check with the company or the county before you rely on it.
How I read industrial space in Alachua
I don't publish a market-wide industrial vacancy or rent figure here. A Gainesville average would not tell you much about one building in Alachua. Progress Park, a flex building off the highway and a distribution site can each behave differently.
For a building or an area, I look at what is listed today and what similar space has leased for lately. I also look at how long it sat empty and what is being built nearby. That tells me more than a citywide number does.
Ask me for current asking rents, vacancy or recent leases for a specific property or part of Alachua. I'll pull what I can find for that address.
Questions to ask before you lease or buy
Ask the landlord or seller how long the space has been on the market and what the last tenant paid. Ask what the rent covers, and who pays taxes, insurance and repairs. For lab or flex space, ask about power, plumbing, ventilation and loading.
Ask what else is planned nearby. New supply can change what a landlord will accept. If the answers are vague, that is worth noting too.
What it means for an owner
If you own industrial, flex or lab space in Alachua, price it from comparable space near you, not from one report. Lab space especially needs comparables of its own. My flex space guide covers warehouse and office mixes.
I can review the building with you and look up what similar space is asking. I start from your building, not from an average.
What it means for a tenant
For lab or tech space, start with Sid Martin Biotech and San Felasco Tech City, then ask what else is open. For warehouse or distribution space, start the search early and compare total occupancy cost, not only the asking rent.
Send me the use, size and timing through the find-space page, and I'll call or email you back. For other areas, read about downtown and the Innovation District or my Gainesville submarkets overview.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sid Martin Biotech in Alachua, FL?
UF Innovate lists Sid Martin Biotech at 12085 Research Dr, Alachua, FL 32615, with 32,546 square feet, 25 wet labs and 13 active biotech companies. It sits in Progress Park.
What is San Felasco Tech City?
San Felasco Tech City says it offers 2,500 up to 210,000 square feet of tech space, with light manufacturing, wet labs and dry labs available. Its site also lists 252 single-family homes and says it is adjacent to the 7,200-acre San Felasco Hammock.
What is the Ben E. Keith project in Alachua County?
WCJB reported in January 2025 that a 707,000-square-foot distribution center by Ben E. Keith was set to come to Alachua County. That report cited 400 new jobs and an opening in fall 2026, so confirm the current status.
How do I find space in Alachua?
Use the find-space page to send me the use, size and timing you need. I read the request and call or email you back using the contact you give. The first step is a short call.
What are industrial rents and vacancy in Alachua right now?
I don't publish a market-wide rent or vacancy number on this page. Ask me about a specific building or part of Alachua, and I'll pull current asking rents, vacancy and recent leases for it.
Sources
- UF Innovate | Accelerate, accessed 2026-10-06
- UF Innovate | Accelerate, accessed 2026-10-06
- San Felasco Tech City, accessed 2026-10-06
- WCJB TV20, accessed 2026-10-06