Industry News

Methodist Stone Oak Hospital opened its new healthcare facility in San Antonio on March 9, 2009. Designed by HOK Architects and constructed by Skanska USA Building, the hospital features 132 private rooms and can expand to accommodate up to 350 beds. Housing surgery, cardiology, oncology, intensive and acute care, and obstetrics, the hospital is accompanied by a 120,000-sf medical office building.

The Canadian parliament is considering legislation that would regulate registration of select agents and promote safety and security. Bill C-11, the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act, would require individuals to obtain clearances for select agent access, with disease agents categorized by threat level. The legislation would also establish handling procedures for each level. For more information, view Bill C-11.

The Canadian government allocated up to $2 billion in its 2009 budget to repair, retrofit, and expand facilities at post-secondary institutions. The funding represents a strategic investment in knowledge infrastructure.

The Integrated Emergency Operations Center opened at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., in March of 2009. Consolidating emergency operations for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency and the Washington Headquarters Service, the facility will support improved joint decision making for emergency preparedness. Battelle provided design and construction services for the project. 

Brookhaven National Laboratory will build a 37-megawatt solar energy plant in Upton, N.Y. The facility will be able to supply 6,500 homes with electricity and will be operational by 2011. The project is funded in part by $15 million from the state’s Energy Research and Development Authority and will be built by British Petroleum Solar. Additionally, Brookhaven National Laboratory will utilize 15 megawatts of hydropower to support the $912 million National Synchrotron Light Source II, which is slated for completion in 2015.