Industry News

Turner Broadcasting System Inc. broke ground on its Techwood campus in Atlanta in March 2000.  Development of the campus network operations facility and office building is slated to move forward ahead of schedule, with the next phase of construction to begin in 2002. Despite design completion, however, development of TBS' new office tower has been pushed back from 2002 to 2004 in order to focus on the Techwood facilities. 

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.'s credit card division is building a three-story, 152,000-sf call center in the Westover Hills on the north side of San Antonio. $24.9 million was expended on land purchase and construction costs for the new facility, which will house up to 400 additional employees.  Construction on the project began in December and is slated for completion in January 2002.

McDonald's is making downtown Bethesda the site of its regional corporate operations. Relocating 150 to 170 employees from Fairfax, Baltimore, and Herndon offices, the regional headquarters will also provide meeting and training space for more than 80 managers and franchisees.

Gaithersburg biotech firm TherImmune hosted the grand opening of a new 30,000-sf toxicology research lab on May 3. The development is an expansion of the current facility where TherImmune provides biotech firms with analytical, toxicology, and consulting services.

Endicott College is planning a $15 million capital campaign to fund several campus improvement projects. Included are an $8 million, 53,000-sf, 230-bed dormitory and a 20,000-sf library addition housing 65,000 books and a new computer technology center.