Boston Scientific wins public funding for $170M ‘Project Black Bear’ expansion

Boston Scientific has won $6 million in financial support from Minnesota for an expansion near Minneapolis.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded the device developer $1.75 million from the state’s Job Creation Fund and $4.25 million from the Minnesota Investment Fund.

That funding will support Boston Scientific’s expansion with a new site in Maple Grove, Minnesota, near Interstate 694 and Highway 169.

The $170 million project — codenamed “Project Black Bear” — includes 400,000 ft² of new R&D labs, office/support space and room for customer-facing training. The site has room for another 150,000 ft² of space if needed in the future.

Boston Scientific plans to move Maple Grove and Minnetonka employees in its peripheral interventions, interventional cardiology therapies, Watchman and urology businesses to the new location, a spokesperson told Medical Design & Outsourcing.

The builder — Ryan Cos. — plans to complete construction in 2025.

The expansion is expected to create around 300 jobs in the first three years.

“DEED is dedicated to the growth and success of businesses statewide, helping them invest in their communities and create new jobs for Minnesotans,” DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said in a news release. “These awards will help ensure Minnesota’s business ecosystem remains healthy and thriving.”

Boston Scientific has not said much publicly about the project, but city and state documents offered some details earlier this year.

Marlborough, Massachusetts-based Boston Scientific was also considering sites in Marlborough as well as Alpharetta, Georgia. In addition to the new jobs, the expansion will keep 1,000 existing jobs in Maple Grove, project backers said.

The Maple Grove City Council signed off on Boston Scientific’s plans in August. This month, Boston Scientific broke ground at the approximately 37-acre site in Maple Grove.

“This new facility …. continues to focus our commitment not just to doing business in Minnesota, but our commitment to doing business in Maple Grove, and we couldn’t be more happy,” Boston Scientific Global Operations EVP Brad Sorenson said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

This post was originally published on Nov. 13, 2023, and updated Nov. 17 with more details about which employees would move to the new building.