Industry News

FASL LLC, a company merging the flash memory operations of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Fujitsu, is planning to build a chipmaking plant in Sunnyvale, Calif. AMD's Fab 25 plant in Austin, which manufactures only flash memory chips, will also become part of FASL.  

Biotech company ZymoGenetics broke ground in early April 2003 on a 70,000-sf addition to its Seattle complex, bringing the company's presence up to 228,000sf. Designed by MBT Architecture, the $26-million project is designed for future growth and will house laboratories and offices. The four-story facility is slated for completion in May 2004 and is being built by Turner Construction.

Global defense contractor Northrop Grumman is constructing two new Florida facilities to support a Navy contract for additional aircraft. A $2.5-million office facility is under construction at the company's St. Augustine site. The 45,000-sf building will house administrative support services, human resources, and members of the federal Defense Contract Management Agency, which monitors aircraft performance, production, and delivery. The second planned facility will house a customer training center and a cafeteria.

Memec Group, a global distributor of semiconductor equipment, has relocated its corporate headquarters to Carmel Valley in San Diego. Previously sited outside of London, Memec Group has leased 92,000 sf in a new 115,000-sf facility, one of five previously occupied by Peregrine Systems.

The City of San Antonio broke ground in late March 2003 on the new 15,000-sf Henry A. Guerra Jr. Branch Library. Construction is slated for completion later this year. Architect for the $2,799,000 project is Sprinkle-Robley. The project cost includes $400,000 for books, magazines, newspapers, videos, DVDs, and CDs.