On Thursday, a state panel chaired by Governor Jan Brewer approved a swap of state trust land in north Phoenix that she expects to be one of the final steps in creating the Arizona Biomedical Corridor. A biosciences cluster already has a presence near downtown Phoenix. The northern corridor would stretch from 56th Street south of the Loop 101 freeway to Tatum and the 101.

Joan Koerber-Walker, President and CEO of the Arizona Bioindustry Association, said the latest development is another sign of the industry’s growing footprint here.