Industry News

U.S. automation company National Instruments will initiate construction in 2009 on an $80 million R&D facility in Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia. The building will accommodate up to 1,500 employees and is slated for occupancy in 2010.

SRI International broke ground on a 37,000-sf research and development facility in St. Petersburg, Fla., on October 30, 2008. Housing 100 investigators and staff engaged in marine science and technology research, the project will support the development of maritime port security technologies for the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command. The two-story building was designed by HOK and is being built by Manhattan Construction Company.

Tokuda Hospital is partnering with PharmaCell to build a $6.4 million human cell and tissue culture facility in Sofia, Bulgaria. Construction of the GMP facility is expected to begin in early 2009. Tokuda Hospital Sofia is owned by Japanese healthcare company Tokushukai Medical.

The University of Michigan Health System is constructing the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Women’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. The 1.1 million-sf project is comprised of a 12-story inpatient tower and a nine-story clinic tower. Designed by HKS Architects, the project includes two MRI units, a MRI-OR suite, and multiple operating rooms. The LEED-certified project will provide 348 private inpatient beds and is slated for occupancy in 2012.

Yale University will break ground in January of 2009 on the 180,000-sf Yale Biology Building in New Haven, Conn. The $200 million project will connect to the Gibbs Research Laboratory and is slated for completion in August of 2011. Designed by Cesar Pelli, the Yale Biology Building is expected to meet LEED Platinum sustainable design standards.