Gilead changes move forward in Foster City 

The August proposal is on the Gilead Sciences campus, located at 300 to 368 Lakeside Drive and 301 to 309 Velocity Way, which is around 72 acres of land divided into a north and south campus. The proposal would occur on the south campus and would not affect the total square footage of the site. The campus is around 2.5 million square feet, with about 1.4 million square feet currently used for labs and 1 million for office use. Gilead previously reallocated 250,000 square feet of office to lab use in 2016.

The Planning Commission approved the zoning shift at a Dec. 15 meeting, with final approval now in the hands of the City Council. Gilead Sciences is one of the largest biopharmaceutical companies in the world, and its main corporate headquarters is in Foster City. Lucerne Tsang, a senior director with Gilead, said at the Dec. 15 meeting the additional lab space will help the company build out its campus.

“The request will allow Gilead Sciences to continue to grow our research here in Foster City,” Tsang said.

The city said a further study showed there would be less transportation and water use compared to the current conditions. Adams noted the project would result in fewer vehicle trips for workers, make Gilead a more competitive employer and adequately addresses water use concerns. Multiple planning commissioners said they had met with the Gilead team about the proposal and had no issues following discussions. City staff also concluded it met city zoning designations and recommended approval.

The proposal coincides with a broader shift toward more life science zoning in Foster City. The council has previously indicated its support for allowing more life science and research and development uses to keep up with the growing industry and workplace changes following the pandemic. The council recently approved a life sciences building proposal at the former El Torito restaurant site at 388 Vintage Park Drive that will be half office space and half lab, while a research and development proposal at the Century Plaza office building at 1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd is under review.