Industry News

The University of San Francisco will initiate a $18.5-million expansion and renovation of its School of Business and Management's McLaren Center. Designed by SMWM, the facility will feature state-of-the-art technology including videoconferencing and specialized classrooms for case studies. A 26,000-sf addition connected to the existing building will be constructed, doubling the current facility's footprint.

Leading research institution SRI International is planning to transform its 1.3 million-sf Menlo Park, Calif., campus with a project estimated to cost "several hundred million dollars." The rebuilding initiative will include renovation of seventy percent of SRI's research facilities in the next ten years, with construction expected to begin in 2006.

San Jose-based Cisco Systems is planning to open a research and development center in Shanghai, China. Representing an initial investment of $32 million over the next five years, the facility will accommodate the hire of approximately 100 employees over the next 18 months. The center will open in the third quarter of 2005.  

San Jose, Calif.-based Cypress Semiconductor Corp . is planning a $2-million expansion of its one-year-old semiconductor design facility in Hyderabad, India. Involving the addition of a silicon validation lab and equipment, the project will enable Cypress to add 33 engineering staff to its 17-person Hyderabad team by year-end 2005. The Hyderabad center currently designs network search engines.

Seton Healthcare Network has selected the Austin office of Clarksdale, Miss.-based White Construction to manage the construction of the new Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas. Sited on the former Robert Mueller Airport in Central Austin, the 470,000-sf state-of-the-art pediatric center will triple the footprint of the existing Children's Hospital of Austin which it will replace. Slated for completion in 2007, the 169-bed hospital is estimated to cost approximately $200 million. Construction will begin in fall 2004.