THOUSAND OAKS : Planners Approve New Amgen Lab

The Thousand Oaks Planning Commission has given Amgen Inc. permission to build a $50-million laboratory on the north side of Hillcrest Drive, east of Rancho Conejo Boulevard.

At its weekly meeting Monday, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to allow the biotechnology company to demolish an empty warehouse on its property and build a two-story, 140,000-square-foot lab in its place.

The facility will include a library, cafeteria and underground parking garage. “This lab will be the cornerstone of our research for several years to come,” said Ed Bjurstrom, a manager at Amgen.

Amgen has grown dramatically in recent years with booming sales from a drug that fights anemia and other promising new drugs. The approval allows the company to build its third lab on its 40-acre property. “It represents Amgen’s commitment to our own future,” Bjurstrom said. “Research forms the backbone for our company.”

The new lab is scheduled to be completed by January, 1993.