Tradeline, Inc. filters and categorizes new-construction and industry news from regional and professional journals across the country. Here you will find new projects, products, and regulatory updates.
Industry News
Oepic Builds New Cleanroom
Oepic Inc. has begun constructing the initial 4,000 sf of what will be a new 12,000-sf cleanroom for manufacturing semiconductors that will speed fiber-optic communications. Technical Builders Inc. of San Jose, Calif., is handling the $5-million project. At completion, the cleanroom will house an additional $20 million in equipment.
Austin Community College Builds Mock Fab
Austin Community College has a simulated semiconductor fabrication facility under construction. The goal of the mock fab is to train semiconductor technicians as well as draw semiconductor companies in need of trained workers to the Austin area. The $250,000 facility, which can accommodate 12 students, will have a gowning room, an air shower, a cleanroom, and a gray room for equipment. Construction of the 1,350-sf simulated fab started in June 2001.
Biogen Expands in RTP
Biogen, running out of room at its headquarters in Cambridge, Mass., has decided to add lab and administrative office space to its expansion at its RTP site. A 250,000-sf manufacturing facility is currently in the works, with production scheduled to begin in early 2002, and a 150,000-sf lab/administrative offices building is scheduled for completion in six months. The company is in the early design phase of an additional 42,000-sf expansion of its manufacturing facility.
Level 3 Communications Completes Needham Data Center
Level 3 Communications Inc. is putting the finishing touches on its new $100 million data center in Needham. Level 3 plans to initially occupy approximately 80,000 sf of the huge 320,000-sf facility. The state-of-the-art structure’s back-up features include wiring for 13,8000 volts of power; a 400,000-gallon buried water tank for the cooling system; and triple redundancies in many of the building systems. Construction manager for the project is Sullivan & McLaughlin Cos. of Boston.
Sallie Mae Plans Smaller Headquarters
The Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae) has plans to downsize its headquarters, leaving its current 400,000-sf building for a 200,000-sf facility to be built next door. Boggs & Partners, working with the Wiehe Design Group, will design the headquarters. Interior architecture will be performed by Blue Chair Design. The civil engineer is Urban Engineering and Associates. The scheduled groundbreaking is in October 2002; completion is anticipated late in 2003 or early 2004.