Corporate

FedEx Corp., based in Memphis, Tenn., plans to convert a former rice milling plant in San Francisco into a new 115,000-sf office and distribution facility. The $10-million project, designed by Solano Beach, Calif.-based McMahon Development Group, includes a two-story, 10,000-sf office building topped with  parking, and a warehouse providing 115 van stalls, 250 parking slots, vehicle maintenance garages, and a customer counter. Construction at the 4.2-acre site is scheduled to begin in June 2002, with operations commencing in December 2002.

Simeon Properties is planning to redevelop the 86-acre former Zenica site in Richmond, Calif., to build the $100 million Western Research Center, a multi-phase biotech incubator. The first $50-million, 330,000-sf phase will involve demolishing six buildings, moving two existing buildings and building two additional facilities. The second phase will encompass 180,000 sf in two more buildings. A possible third phase, dependent on an entitlement from the City of Richmond and environmental remediation, would open up the remaining 55 acres.

Suntory Water Group of Atlanta is consolidating regional call centers with a move to the planned Tanners Creek project in Flowery Branch, Ga. Suntory will be occupying 20,000 sf of the 2,000,000-sf, 150-acre mixed-use development which features fiber-optic cable technology and includes office, hotel, retail, and restaurant facilities.  

Defense contractor BAE Systems is consolidating and expanding its corporate operations in Northern Virginia with a move to 134,000 sf of leased office space currently under construction at the Reston Commons. BAE Systems, based in Rockville, Md., will begin moving employees in phases beginning in June 2002.

Fortress Development has selected RTKL of Baltimore to provide design, master-planning, architecture, engineering, and telecommunications services for its 425-acre Loudoun County data center and office complex. Slated to begin construction in late 2002, the $500-million project, known as CYBERPLEX@DULLES, will feature a 110,000-sf multiple-tenant data center or office building.  

Network Associates is building a new 170,000-sf office building on a 15-acre parcel at Legacy Corporate Park in Plano. Carr Development, an affiliate of Carr America Realty based in Washington, D.C., will develop the three-story building for the network security company. Architect for the project is Good Fulton Farrell, with interior design by Gensler & Associates. Completion of construction is expected at the end of 2002.

Chevron Corp. is relocating its corporate headquarters to the company's San Ramon campus. Chevron will move the remaining 200 San Francisco employees to Chevron's large corporate home in San Ramon, which currently houses 3,500 workers.

Smith & Hawken, purveyors of up-scale garden products, has opened its corporate headquarters at Hamilton Landing, a $100-million office park under construction at the former Hamilton Field military base in Marin County. The developer of the project, Barker Pacific, has converted four of seven hangars thus far. The Smith & Hawken headquarters features a 38'-high atrium, 11' ceiling heights, openable windows, an HVAC system that uses outside air, and raised flooring.

Interior design of Microsoft's $3.3-million New England office was completed by Boston-based SBA/Steffian Bradley Associates Inc. Located in the Waltham/Weston Corporate Center, the 50,000-sf project is a joint venture of contractor Turner Construction SPD of Boston and AVRP/Austin Veum Robbins Parshalle of San Diego.

Valero Energy Corp. has selected SpawGlass Contractors of San Antonio to build its new headquarters at the 148-acre campus of Ultramar Diamond Shamrock (UDS), recently acquired by Valero. The 200,000- to 300,000-sf office structure will consolidate Valero’s operations. Plans for the company’s existing two-building, 260,000-sf headquarters in North San Antonio are uncertain. Existing buildings at the UDS site include a headquarters (225,000 sf) and an annex (20,000 sf); both buildings, as well as the existing Valero headquarters, are full to capacity.

PeopleSoft plans to expand its headquarters at Hacienda Business Park pending approvals from the city of Pleasanton. The company’s existing 815,000-sf complex would be supplemented with a new 181,000-sf, five-story office structure on a vacant parcel owned by PeopleSoft across the street. It is anticipated that the building, which would accommodate approximately 800 people, would cost nearly $30-million, and would reach completion in fall of 2003.

Tetratec PTFE Technologies, a subsidiary of Donaldson Co. Inc., is planning a new headquarters on 19.25 acres in Northampton. Located in the Ginko Industrial Park, the 61,000-sf building will consolidate four of the company's Feasterville facilities.

Allstate Corp. plans to occupy 50,030 sf at a new 70,000-sf office building under construction at Twin Oaks Office Park in North Central San Antonio. The Northbrook, Ill.-based national insurance company will be the major tenant at Two Twin Oaks, which has 67,000 sf net rental space available.

Vanguard Group has completed construction of three 120,000-sf structures at its 300-acre campus in Malvern. The company is beginning preliminary work on an additional 2.5 million sf, with phase one construction on the proposed project starting as early as spring 2002. The multi-phased project would begin with two buildings, each 320,000 sf, on 70 acres of the company’s 250-acre Downington campus.

Lucasfilm Ltd., based in San Rafael, Calif., is converting the former Letterman Hospital at San Francisco’s historic Presidio to a new 900,000-sf digital arts campus. Demolition by Webcor Builders at the 23-acre site began in early December 2001. Design is under way for the new facility, with George Lucas leading the design team. Gensler Architecture is consulting on the project. San Francisco-based Robinson Mills Williams will provide tenant improvements. Larry Halpern is the landscape specialist.