Industry News

IBM has plans to increase its presence in the telecommunications services field with the building of the Network Innovation Laboratories—three labs where several IBM units will work with other telecom companies to research and test new services: wireless solutions, broadband delivery, Internet telephony and data centers. By March 2001, IBM expects to have built one lab in Raleigh, and one each in France and Asia.

University of Connecticut (UConn) broke ground in October on Rentschler Field, a $90-million state-funded project aimed at revitalizing the Hartford area and elevating the UConn football program to national status. The 40,000-seat football stadium will serve as home field for UConn Football as well as other sports and entertainment events. The facility will occupy 8.5 acres of the 75-acre site contributed by Hartford-based United Technologies.

Bucknell University has selected Ewing Cole Cherry Brott of Philadelphia to design the University’s new recreation and athletics center. The project includes a sports Hall of Fame, 4,000-seat multipurpose gymnasium with a new student fitness center, natatorium, coaches’ offices, varsity locker facilities, and renovations to the original gymnasium and natatorium. Bucknell’s new facility will connect with the existing athletic center. Construction of the athletic facility began in late November 2000 with completion in the fall of 2002.

Nokia’s three-story, 190,000-sf Product Creation Center in Scripps Ranch won two awards from the local design and architecture community. Davis Davis Architects designed the $44-million facility. The building houses office, research, and recreation facilities and includes lab space (31,000 sf), a dining area with full-service kitchen (3,600 sf) and an executive meeting room (2,600 sf). Several of the project team members include McGraw/Baldwin Architects, Hensel Phelps Construction, and Hope Engineering.

Nortel Networks is working with Koll Corporate Development and McCarthy Building Companies to construct Phase III of the Nortel Networks Galatyn Park campus. The $35-million expansion will add 296,000 sf of office space and two parking structures to the existing 500,000-sf campus. The fast-track project includes a seven-story office building and two, four-level parking structures for up to 1,600 cars, a credit union, company story, and cafeteria. At completion in March 2001, approximately 1,400 employees will be located in the new facility.