Industry News

Shell Shared Services Asia-BV has completed construction of its business operations center in Makati City, Philippines. The 35,200-sf facility was designed by Barone Design Group to support key internal business and customer service functions and will accommodate 288 workspaces. The facility is located on two floors in the RCBC Plaza.

Glendale, Wisc.-based Johnson Controls will build a new $26.5 million manufacturing plant in Lucenec, Slovakia. The facility will begin producing automotive seating products in mid-2006 and will employ approximately 340 workers by 2007. The plant will supply Kia Motors Corp., a company that is also constructing a facility in the area.  

Kohl's Corp. is planning to enlarge its existing 530,000-sf Menomonee Falls, Wis., headquarters facility with a 350,000-sf expansion. The project will add over 1,000 new jobs to the 1,500 workers that the company currently employs at the site. Three million dollars in state tax credits will help fund the expansion.

Cleveland State University has selected Gilbane's Cleveland district office as construction manager for a new 135,000-sf recreation center with the goal of obtaining a LEEDTM  silver certification. The $24 million facility will include numerous weight and fitness areas; three basketball courts; two racquetball courts; a running track; juice bar; administrative areas; and underground parking. Estimated completion is scheduled for 2006.

The University of Louisville is developing the Gheens Foundation Biosensor Reseach Center in Louisville. Funded by a $1.5 million pledge from the Gheens Foundation, the center will conduct biosensor research to create new devices and enable existing heart devices to function more compatibly with the human body. The research center will be part of the new $27.6 million Cardiovascular Innovation Institute (CII), a partnership between the University of Louisville and Jewish Hospital .