Industry News

National Surgical Hospitals (NSH) opened the 30-bed Spine Hospital of South Texas and an accompanying medical office building in September. A joint venture of NSH and approximately 20 local physicians, the $30-million Stone Oak medical development will specialize in surgical spine care and pain management. The facility is designed to eventually expand to 40 rooms.

Idec Pharmaceuticals broke ground in October 2002 on its new five-building corporate headquarters and laboratory facility in San Diego's University Towne Center. San Diego-based Cisterra Partners is developer of the 42.6-acre project, with Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum of St.

Boston University will establish the Center for Chemical Methodologies and Library Development with a $10.7-million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. The project will involve construction of chemistry libraries for licensing to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

Crittenton Hospital Medical Center is planning an $86-million expansion and renovation of its Rochester Hills hospital. Albert Kahn Associates is providing full architectural and engineering services for the 140,000-sf multi-phase project. The new facility will include a women and children's center, expanded inpatient and outpatient surgery centers, radiology and emergency departments, OB/GYN and orthopedic areas, a chest pain clinic, adult and pediatric urgent care areas, an education center and a gift shop.

DaimlerChrysler's new 543,000-sf state-of-the-art manufacturing facility began production in July 2002. The engine plant is located on a brownfield construction site adjacent to the existing Kenosha Engine Plant in Kenosha, Wisc. The new plant is attached to the existing plant via a connector link that centralizes the shipping docks of both facilities and serves as a common utility route between both facilities and the new compressor building.