Industry News

Memphis VA Medical Center initiated a $6 million renovation of its animal research facility in December of 2008. The 38,000-sf project includes the 14,000-sf Veterinary Medical Unit (VMU) and 24,000 sf of basic research space. The renovation will add 10,000 sf to the VMU and will increase laboratory and animal housing space for research on mice, rats, and rabbits. The project is slated for completion in mid-2010.

Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies opened its $40 million headquarters and biomedical research facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in January of 2009. Located in the Florida Center for Innovation at Tradition, the 103,000-sf facility was built by Suffolk Construction Co. Ground was broken for the project in March of 2007. Construction began in February of 2008 and reached completion in September of 2008, three months ahead of schedule.

California-based Mann Research Center is planning to construct a $100 million life sciences complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The 400,000-sf research facility will be located in the Florida Center for Innovation at Tradition.

Winkler County Memorial Hospital completed construction of its $13.2 million replacement facility in Kermit, Texas, in January of 2009. Designed by Ascension Group Architects of Arlington and built by Skiles Group Construction, the 34,000-sf hospital includes an emergency department and an isolation room.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will relocate the Brain Sciences Institute to 25,000 sf of laboratory space in the John G. Rangos Sr. Building in Baltimore. Located in the Science + Technology Park at Johns Hopkins, the project was developed by Forest City-New East Baltimore Partnership. The facility will be the center of the Institute's operations as well as housing labs and offices for the NeuroTranslational Program.