Industry News

Melrose-Wakefield Hospital has opened a state-of-the-art, expanded endoscopy suite in Melrose, Mass.  The $2-million facility includes 5 procedure rooms and 14 admitting/recovery rooms.

Seton Healthcare Network is planning medical offices comprising over 100,000 sf to be constructed adjacent to its planned $70-million, 451,000-sf children's hospital in Northeast Austin. The offices, estimated to cost $30-million, will be financed and built by a private developer. The two facilities are Seton's newest medical campus and will deliver in January 2007. The project is sited on 28 acres and includes a parking garage. Seton will solicit construction bids for the development in spring 2003.

Pixar Animation Studios has doubled plans for its Emeryville, Calif., campus to include three new buildings and a two-story parking garage. In addition to its existing 215,000-sf building, each of the new facilities could comprise up to 160,000 sf each. The first building will be sited on an undeveloped portion of Pixar's 14-acre campus. The second building will be constructed on the existing campus parking lot, and the third will replace the former Semifreddi's Baker Building purchased by Pixar, located across the street.

State Farm Insurance is consolidating 66 California claims processing centers down to 20, closing centers in Pleasant Hill, Santa Rosa, Burlingame, San Francisco, Pacific, Marin and Richmond. State Farm will centralize operations in Emeryville, Calif., with the lease of an additional 16,000 sf in EmeryTech, bringing its occupancy in the development up to 60,000 sf through 2009.

GKN Aerospace has completed its $5.7-million corporate headquarters in St. Louis. The $5.7-million phased demolition and renovation project entailed major demo work of 38,000-sf of a former manufacturing structure, creating executive offices, conference centers, new lobby areas and a new entrance. The facility was designed by Fox Architects of St. Louis and built by contractor McCarthy.