Industry News

Kubota Corp., Japan's largest farm equipment maker, has purchased a 170,000-sf distribution facility in Oakwood South Industrial Park. The facility will accommodate assembly of larger tractors, alleviating operations at Kubota's 220,000-sf facility in Suwanee. Kubota also has a 600,000-sf manufacturing facility in Gainesville. The new plant is sited on 18 acres purchased by Kubota; an additional 32 adjacent to the site was purchased to facilitate future expansion.

The University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School has completed the $139.9-million Jon M. Huntsman Hall. Providing the business school with the latest technology, the 324,000-sf building features 48 classrooms equipped with multimedia, broadband audio, and videoconferencing capabilities provided to the school's San Francisco, France, and Singapore programs. Special infrared hearing devices enable the hearing-impaired to listen to lectures.

Memorial Hermann Healthcare System and the University of Texas Health Science Center are planning to build a 400,000-sf, 25-story medical office and ambulatory care center in Houston.

The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor began renovating the 178,930-sf West Hall in summer of 2002. The $15-million project will involve complete demolition and renovation of parts of the first, second and fourth floors and infrastructure upgrades to the remainder of the building. Improvements will be made to the fire protection, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems, with some exterior renovations.

Northwestern   University is adding a new four-story office building to Mary Jane McMillen Crowe Hall.