Industry News

University of California, San Francisco, broke ground in October 1999 on a $1.5 billion biotechnology campus at a 303-acre site in Mission Bay, where Stanford University plans to break ground in 2000 on its own $200 million, 225,000-sf Clark Center for Biomedical Engineering-Mission Bay.

Cree Research Inc. is expanding its LED manufacturing capacity with the construction of a 125,000-sf facility slated for completion in late 2000. The company recently completed a 42,000-sf production and administration addition.

Avenir plans to build a $2.5 million, 23,000-sf software development facility on a 2.5 acre site in Prince William County industrial park called Innovation@Prince William. The information technology company, based in New York, plans to open the new facility in April 2001.

Virginia Tech may receive $12 million in funding from the proposed state budget to build a biomedical center and establish a biotech research center. The University of Virginia is also targeted in the proposed budget for $2.5 million to convert an abandoned hospital to a technology center at its Wise Campus.

The Scotts Co., headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, has selected three San Diego companies to provide design, construction management, and general contracting services for a new facility in Temecula. Smith Consulting Architects, Gafcon and Keeton Construction Co. began work in November 2000 on Scotts Co’s $22-million, 410,000-sf office/manufacturing/warehouse facility to produce lawn seed and fertilizer spreaders. The company is a leading supplier of consumer gardening products.