The California Coastal Commission issued final approvals last week to build a $115 million, four-story stem cell research lab on Torrey Pines Mesa in La Jolla.

A permit from the commission will allow the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine — a group made up of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, UC San Diego, Salk Institute and The Scripps Research Institute — to move forward with plans to build a 135,000-square-foot facility on North Torrey Pines Road.

It will be the nation’s first facility of its kind where scientists and other collaborators come together to advance the pace of stem cell research.

“This is really a remarkable project,” said Larry Goldstein, director of UCSD’s stem cell research program. “I can tell you that what we’re trying to build here in San Diego is truly unique.”

The labs have been funded by private donations, including a $30 million pledge by South Dakota philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, along with $43 million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the state’s $3 billion stem cell agency created by voters in 2004.

Conditions set by the state stem cell agency require the facility to be completed by December 2010. It will seek certification as a green building.

Earlier Controversy

The proposed facility sparked earlier controversy by a group of glider pilots who use the nearby airspace to fly their fixed-wing aircraft in the summer months.

David Jebb, retired flight director of the Torrey Pines Gliderport, expressed concern that UCSD would gradually encroach on glider activities by erecting more buildings, and eventually forcing it out of operation.

As part of the latest agreement, the Gliderport will have to realign its runway for fixed-wing glider pilots to be able to continue to use the spot for takeoffs and landings.

Gary Fogel, a representative of the Torrey Pines Soaring Council, told commissioners that the runway realignment satisfied his group’s concerns.

A state historical preservation group also challenged the consortium’s efforts to build near the site, saying it would interfere with the historical integrity of the property, used to fly aircraft for military and personal use since the 1920s.

But the challenge was ultimately overruled by agencies that approved the project, including the UC Board of Regents and Coastal Commission.