Industry News

Washington University broke ground in early October 2000 on the university's Uncas A. Whitaker Hall for Biomedical Engineering building, designed by Boston-based architects Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott. The new three-story facility will include a flexible laboratory wing comprised of 22,000 sf of wet lab space and 12,500 sf of procedure equipment and environmental areas (which will include a nanofabrication lab, vivarium, electron microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance suites). A three-story atrium will connect the laboratory wing with faculty office pods and classrooms.

Paradigm Genetics has completed construction of their new 53,000-sf plant genetic research lab and administration facility. The administration areas include moveable furniture partitions with power, UPS, data, flourescent and specialty lighting, conference areas and breakrooms. Lab and support areas include casework, hoods and environmental chambers, chillers, boilers, HVAC contrals, backup generator, UPS, data and specialized process equipment for plant growth/fungal research.

G.E. Medical Systems has a 283,500-sf, $40-million expansion under way at its Waukesha complex. A $30-million, three-story addition to the corporate headquarters building will provide 213,000 sf of office and manufacturing space. Completion is anticipated in December 2001.  The magnetic resonance building is undergoing a 69,500-sf, $10-million addition that will add two stories to the facility, which houses R&D and manufacturing operations. A manufacturing cleanroom will also be part of the expansion. General contractor for the project is M.A. Mortenson.

Solid Data Systems plans to relocate from its 30,000-sf facility in Santa Clara, Calif., to a new 67,500-sf building at Piercy business Park in South San Jose's Edenvale section. The planned expansion anticipates Solid Data's plan to quadruple its staff to 400 employees over the next two years. Construction began in December 2000, with move-in planned for May 2001. A second 67,500-sf building is scheduled for 2002. Mission West Properties is the developer of the buildings. Solid Data Systems manufactures Internet infrastructure hardware.

Intel Corp., based in Santa Clara, Calif., may consolidate employees from its three San Diego facilities at a 31-acre site at Scripps Ranch which the company purchased in December 2000. The site could accommodate approximately 1 million sf of office space, which would be sufficient for several thousand employees. Intel's San Diego operations, which employ about 480 people, include networking and communications products; a wireless R&D operation; and a logic chip sets facility.