Lab Space for Rent in Chicago

Size

Not published

Price

On request

Biosafety

BSL-1, BSL-2

Availability

Available

Portal Innovations is a venture development platform that pairs seed capital with fully-equipped lab and office space, so members get funding and a bench at the same time rather than signing a conventional lease. Its Chicago flagship, Fulton Labs at 400 N Aberdeen St, spans 60,000+ sq ft with 100+ lab benches, 120+ desks, BSL-2 labs, tissue culture hoods and chemical fume hoods, backed by $6M+ of shared equipment (network-wide, ~$12M across ~110,000 sq ft in five sites). Portal targets covering 80%+ of a typical member company's equipment needs, plus in-house scientific, data and commercialization support and investor introductions — though a January 2026 lawsuit against JV partner Beacon Capital over funding shortfalls is worth diligencing.

Size

2,040–34,461 sq ft

Price

On request

Biosafety

Not published

Availability

Limited

Fulton Labs is a 725,000 sq ft, two-building life-sciences campus in Chicago's Fulton Market developed by Trammell Crow Company — the first purpose-built wet/dry lab campus in the neighborhood. Beyond full-floor leases, it offers "Science Ready Lab Suites": fully built-out, move-in-ready private labs of 3,000–7,000 sq ft with flexible lease terms and a shared lab equipment room, plus "graduation suites" aimed at startups scaling out of incubators. Both buildings include in-building vivarium space, access-controlled chemical storage and heavy redundant MEP, and the campus hosts Portal Innovations, CZ Biohub Chicago, Charles River Laboratories and Illinois Tech.

Size

300–2,000 sq ft

Price

No published rates; site states qualified startups can "lease space at competitive rates with flexible terms"

Biosafety

Not published

Availability

Ask provider

The UTP Incubator is Illinois Tech's 33,000 sq ft startup facility housed in a restored Mies van der Rohe building on Chicago's South Side, offering 19 wet labs, 9 dry labs, and 6 office suites for up to ~34 companies. Unlike open-access coworking labs, it screens applicants — you need a written business plan with milestones, secured initial funding, an incorporated entity, and a senior leadership team to qualify. Wet labs come furnished (Steelcase) with fume hoods, natural gas, compressed air and vacuum, plus shared autoclave, centrifuge, and -80°C freezer, and sit within the broader 300,000 sq ft University Technology Park.