Industry News

San Diego-based Structural GenomiX will lease a 10,000-sf facility for Eli Lilly & Co. as part of a research collaboration announced April 21, 2003. Lilly will install technology in the facility over the course of 12 to 18 months, after which Lilly can opt to transfer the system to its Indianapolis headquarters or staff the existing location. The facility will house 10 to 15 Structural Genomics scientists involved in determining the three-dimensional structure of several proteins that are potential targets for new drugs.

Pfizer has awarded Montbleau and Associates the contract for laboratory furniture and architectural woodwork at seven facilities totaling 500,000 sf in Torrey Pines, Calif. The project architect is Kornberg Associates with DPR Construction as general contractor.

Convergys Corp. is constructing a 170,000-sf call center in Bangalore, India. Housing employee testing areas, training rooms, a language laboratory, and a cafeteria, the facility will accommodate over 3,000 employees when it opens in May of 2003. Convergys, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, provides outsourced billing, human resources, and customer care services.

The New Jersey State Aquarium is planning to break ground on a $33.6-million expansion in late summer of 2003. Designed by Columbus, Ohio-based Steiner + Associates, the $33.6-million project will expand the Camden aquarium by 72,000 sf; retail, entertainment, and restaurants will also be constructed. Including surrounding development, the total project cost could reach $44-million. Steiner + Associates will be responsible for the operation of the expanded aquarium, which will include a new shark tank and hippopotamus area.

Virtua Memorial Hospital Burlington County has completed the $770,000 renovation of its low-risk cardiac catheterization laboratory, including the installation of new imaging technology.