Industry News

Techplace @ 2 St., a new $1.5 million technology incubator located in a renovated former factory, is open in Philadelphia. A nonprofit group, Citizens Alliance, purchased the building, and has been rehabilitating it over the past two years. The facility will feature a cybercafe; a conference center for use by tenants, with Microsoft and Compaq Computer equipment; and adjacent parking. The grand opening is scheduled for December 2001.

CTC Communications has completed construction of the Advanced Technology Center, a 50,000-sf Class A Data Center, at its headquarters in Waltham. The new facility will allow the integrated communications carrier to lower costs and speed service for new products and applications, and will enhance opportunities for the company’s customers to outsource their mission-critical equipment and applications.

ADIC (Advanced Digital Information Corporation) plans to expand at Compark Business Park with a 148,204-sf facility that will provide 80,000 sf of office space and 68,000 sf of hi-tech manufacturing/warehouse space. The structure, originally a speculative project; was modified by Grubb & Ellis to fit ADIC’s specific requirements. ADIC expects to relocate by the end of 2001, and will use the building for manufacturing, R&D, test and systems engineering labs, customer service and support, and training activities.

Amberwave Systems’ new fabrication facility in Salem has been completed. The structure comprises a 6,000-sf cleanroom manufacturing space and 25,000-sf base building and office space. Plymouth, Mass.-based Lloyd Architects designed the building. General construction services were provided by Hodess Building Co. of North Attleboro, Mass. Staughton, Mass.-based Am Tech Engineers Inc. designed the mechanical systems.

Hughes Network Systems, a unit of California-based Hughes Electronics, has just opened its  new $20 million, 43,000-sf operations center for the company’s satellite-based broadband network, DirecWay. The new facility, which is a consolidation of eight operations, will be the control center for the $.14 billion DirecWay service—a two-way connection that enables users to both receive and send data over the same wireless receiver.