Industry News

U.S. Department of Agriculture has consolidated operations from 13 regional offices in six states at the new Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Eastern Regional Hub at North Carolina State University's Centennial campus in Raleigh. The 35,000-sf hub, located in the Venture II building, accommodates Animal Care and Investigative and Enforcement Services; Plant Protection and Quarantine; Veterinary Services; and Wildlife Services. The current staff of 80 is expected to grow to 150 people by the end of 2000.

Applied Biosystems Group, based in Foster City, Calif., plans to develop a 960,000-sf Pleasanton campus over the next eight years that will eventually house as many as 2,600 employees. Applied Biosystems will initially occupy about 100,000 sf of the 300,000 sf of office, lab, and warehouse space that currently exists at the 80-acre site. In 2001, the company plans to build between 250,000 and 300,000 sf of office, lab, light manufacturing, and warehouse space. The company is working to decode the human genome.

Human Genome Sciences hopes to relocate its 600 employees from Rockville, Md., to a 45-acre headquarters in North Potomac. Preliminary plans for the new campus: a 400,000-sf to 500,000-sf initial build-out, with the potential for up to one million sf. Pending approval by the Montgomery County Planning Board in July, final relocation plans will be ready by fall. Construction could begin by summer 2001, with move-in sometime in 2003. Head-count at the facility could reach 2,500 over the next several years.

Johns Hopkins University recently dedicated the new 50,000-gsf Academic and Research Building for its Montgomery County campus at the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center in Rockville. The three-story structure features state-of-the-art research and education facilities: four computer labs; 22 "smart" classrooms configured for video conferencing, multimedia presentations, and high-speed transmission of large databases; a coffee house; a bookstore; and student meeting spaces.

Kutztown University has plans to renovate and expand its science teaching facilities. The Pennsylvania Department of General Services has contracted with STV Architects to design the $14 million Kutztown University Science Center. The Boehm and Grim Science Buildings will undergo renovation and a 70,000-sf addition to the Boehm building will be constructed. The center will accommodate and promote new technologies and will encompass the biology, chemistry, marine science, physics, geography, geology, physical science, and astronomy departments.