A conceptual rendering shows the potential future buildout of the 46-acre Reactory biomanufacturing business park at the former Worcester State Hospital property. Image courtesy of the Worcester Business Development Corp.

Contract manufacturer WuXi Biologics has formally signed a deal for a 107,000-square-foot facility in a new biomanufacturing park in Worcester.

WuXi, is slated to be the first development in the Worceter Business Development Corp.’s eight-pad Reactory biotech park adjacent to the University of Massachusetts Medical School and a large AbbVie research center.

The company secured a 20-year tax break from the city of Worcester in March that will see its property taxes reduced by 40 percent over 20 years, for a total of $11.5 million. The company will still pay $21 million in property taxes to the city over that period.

City and state officials – who provided $15 million for site preparation work at The Reactory, located on the grounds of a former state hospital – portray WuXi’s investment as a landmark in Worcester’s efforts to become a handmaid to Greater Boston’s biotech boom. Many biotechs in Greater Boston’s core communities must turn to out-of-state companies to manufacture drugs developed in-house, an area where WuXi hopes to compete given its connections to Kendall Square.

“As the central Massachusetts biotech community continues its growth, WuXi Biologics’ arrival in Worcester will strengthen the sector and lead to ongoing economic development,” Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said in a statement. “Years of planning and collaboration to transform an unused property into a biomanufacturing hub has led to this exciting announcement today and I appreciate the commitment of so many to making this a reality.”