Cancer Research Facility Coming to St. Johns County

When a cure for cancer is found, it could come from St. Johns County.
County commissioners recently approved an economic development incentive request from the TyMe Institute to build a 30,165-square foot cancer prevention clinic in the Interstate 95/County Road 210 area. The facility will include a cancer research laboratory and a small-scale cancer drug manufacturing operation.
“This is a pretty exciting project for the county,” said Colin Groff, deputy county administrator. “They focus on what they call the ‘gap areas’ the larger companies do not concentrate on.”
The project is eligible for expedited permitting under the new industry category of the county’s business incentive program as well as reimbursement of up to 100% of impact fees paid, four years of ad valorem taxes on capital improvements and four years of tangible personal property taxes paid by the company. Groff said the total estimated value of the incentive is $621,031.
The project is expected to create 54 high-wage jobs at 125% of the average annual salary in St. Johns County, and construction of the facility is estimated to be completed by the end of 2025.
Dr. Aneel Paulus, a cancer researcher with the TyMe Institute, said the project is “both a personal and professional endeavor” and represents a first step in the use of cutting-edge tools.
“I think this is going to be a great project,” he said. “Nothing like it in the region exists.”
Paulus said the facility will not manufacture cancer drugs on a large scale.
“The facility’s size does not allow for commercialization,” he said. “It is primarily for research prior to going into a clinical trial.”
Scott Maynard, senior vice president of economic development at the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, said the project is a targeted industry in the health and life sciences sector and will generate more than $5.4 million in tax dollars. He said with the other major healthcare organizations already in the region, the TyMe Institute will accelerate growth in the sector.
“It is actually the potential we are excited about,” he said. “This cluster of major healthcare providers puts us on a significant advantage to attract other high-paying jobs to the area. We look forward to seeing more projects like this in the future.”
