Industry News

The Advanced Technology Center at Florida Community College at Jacksonville received the design excellence merit award from the Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects on August 2, 2003. Designed by KBJ Architects, the 122,000-sf, three-phase technology center is a partnership between the business community and the college. Equipment for the classes taught in the $17.9-million center is donated by businesses, who utilize some of the space.

TDK Semiconductor has relocated its worldwide headquarters from Tustin to a new building in Irvine, Calif. Located in the Irvine Spectrum business park, the facility will house the design center, marketing, sales, engineering, finance, and administration. TDK Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based TCK Corp., produces analog and mixed-signal products for digital cable and satellite applications.

General Motors Corp. is relocating a large parts-distribution center from Edina to Hudson, Wisc. The $34-million project will site a new 404,000-sf warehouse facility on 30 acres in the St. Croix Business Park.

Treasure Valley Renewable Resources is planning to construct a new biorefinery plant near Ontario, Ore. The $77-million sustainable facility will use corn, wheat, barley, and milo as feed stock to create food-grade fiber, starch, and protein concentrate for human food and aquaculture industries. Carbon dioxide will also be captured for the production of ethanol and commercial sales. Additionally, the wet-spent grain byproduct generated by the facility will be used as livestock feed.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is planning the East Baltimore Development, a new biotechnology park in Maryland. Located north of Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, the park will be the cornerstone of a new planned community as part the revitalization of East Baltimore. A $22-million loan will fund the development.