Industry News

North Carolina State University will soon break ground on a new nanotechnology research facility on its Centennial Campus in Raleigh. The $24-million, 80,000-sf Partners III building is expected to open in July of 2004.

Union Station Telecom Center, currently a tech-driven data center, will be renovated and repositioned to attract a government tenant. The 442,000-sf data center, a 51-year-old former warehouse and department store distribution center, is being developed by Tishman Real Estate Services. Floor layout and the amount of usable office space may change, and additional security measures for government requirements may be added. A call for architects to design the project has been issued.  

The State University at Albany's Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics will expand with a massive $400-million research and development center. Created by an international consortium of computer chip manufacturers, the site will employ 250 researchers engaged in 300-millimeter chip development. The state of New York will contribute $210-million for construction, equipment, and specialized tools.

DPT Laboratories Ltd. of San Antonio, a developer, manufacturer, packager and distributer of over-the-counter and prescription skin-care products for pharmaceutical companies, is in the process of completing a $5-million, 32,000-sf R&D facility housing additional chemistry labs and accommodating 75 scientists. The building will both support DPT's contract manufacturing operations, as well as provide expansion space for the company's live-cell therapy research.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) has chosen Ai, a District of Columbia architectural firm, to design a 422,000-sf office expansion at its 370,000-sf Virginia Square campus. The $111-million project will more than double the FDIC's Arlington facilities and will replace four leased D.C. offices.