Industry News

Vocollect Inc. relocates to its newly constructed 80,000-sf headquarters on August 15, 2003. Constructed adjacent to its current Wilkins Township, Pa., location, the four-story build-to-suit facility will include office, research, and production space, as well as state-of-the-art sound labs. The building also features a fitness center, recreation room, ergonomically designed workstations, and low-glare indirect lighting. Vocollect creates voice technology software and hardware.

Chantilly, Va.-based Intersection Inc. broke ground on its new call center in Rio Rancho, N.M., in August 2003. Slated for completion in January 2004, the 28,000-sf facility will bring 100 jobs to the city. Intersection’s Rio Rancho customer care staff will be housed in a secure temporary facility on New Mexico Highlands University’s Rio Rancho campus until the new facility is complete. Intersection provides credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.

Electronics manufacturing company Synqor is relocating to 102,619 sf of office and R&D space in Boxborough from a total of 50,000 sf in two Hudson facilities and one Marlborough facility. Occupancy will begin in November when over $1-million in tenant improvements is completed. Thirty percent of the building will house office space, with the remainder accommodating research and development. The two-story brick building will also allow for future growth.

Georgia Institute of Technology has renovated its existing 1996 Olympic swimming and diving venue into a new student recreation center. Designed by St. Louis-based Hastings & Chivetta Architects, the project creates a 175-foot continuous floor span, the longest ever known. This was accomplished by the construction of an interstitial floor at the fourth level above the existing pool complex, creating 60,000 sf of gymnasium and multi-purpose space.

The Bay-Delta Science Consortium is considering creating its principal research station at a decommissioned Army base just south of Rio Vista, Calif. The project could house up to 200 researchers studying the Delta’s water quality and ecosystem at the station. Housing approximately 20,000 sf of office and lab space, the 28-acre site would accommodate marina slips for 40 research vessels and recreation facilities. The 28-acre site is desirable due to its central location between San Francisco Bay and the Delta.