Industry News

Health Management Associates initiated construction in September of 2009 on the $42 million Madison River Oaks Hospital in Canton, Miss. The 67-bed facility is sited on 30 acres and will house surgery, imaging, emergency, ICU, women's services, labor and delivery, and physical therapy. Occupancy is expected by year-end 2011.

The University of Wisconsin Primate Research Center is planning to expand its Madison facility. A 23,500-sf addition will be constructed to house all animals currently part of the University's behavioral research project. $15 million in federal stimulus funding is being sought to support construction of the facility.

The University of Colorado broke ground in September of 2009 on the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building in Boulder. The construction cost of the 257,000-sf facility is estimated at between $120 million and $145 million. Designed to foster interdisciplinary biomedical research, the Biotechnology Building will house scientists from eight departments. Occupancy is stated for fall of 2011. An additional 54,000-sf wing may be built in a second construction phase.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) officially broke ground on its disaster safety research center in September of 2009. Located in Chester County, S.C., the laboratory will enable researchers to subject structures such as homes, light commercial construction, and agricultural buildings to a variety of hazards, including realistic Category 3 hurricanes, wind-blown fire, and hailstorms. The $40 million multi-peril research facility is funded entirely by property insurance companies, reinsurers, and brokers.

The University of California, Irvine has been awarded LEED Gold sustainable design certification for the expansion of the Anteater Recreation Center. The project consisted of a 26,000-sf addition, bringing the size of the completed building to 115,000-sf. The recreation center uses 70 percent renewable energy and uses 43 percent less water than comparable facilities.