Industry News

IBM is planning a $1.5 billion expansion of its research and manufacturing operations in New York State. IBM will invest $400 million at the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering as well as initiating an extensive expansion of its East Fishkill chip manufacturing and research facility. Additionally, a packaging plant will be constructed in upstate New York. Completion of IBM’s statewide expansion is expected by 2011.

Trammell Crow has selected Gilbane Building Company to construct the 871,000-sf Discovery Tower in downtown Houston at an estimated cost of $156 million. Designed by Gensler Architects, the 30-story tower will have 10 wind turbines at the top of the structure that will harvest renewable energy by generating electricity.

The United Kingdom’s Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) released £397 million in research facility funding in July of 2008. The Large Facilities Capital Fund awards include:

Stanford Medical Center is planning to construct a $2 billion replacement hospital in Palo Alto, Calif.  The seven story, 1.1 million-sf facility is slated for occupancy in 2015. Housing a total of 600 beds, the facility will meet state seismic safety requirements and will be designed with the flexibility to accommodate future medical technologies. The new hospital will include a Level 1 trauma center, an expanded emergency room, and positive pressure nursing units for the minimization of airborne contaminants.

Aspen Aerogels opened a $30 million manufacturing and production facility in East Providence, R.I., in July of 2008. The 150,000-sf project will be followed by two additional expansion phases at the East Providence campus. Aspen Aerogels, headquartered in Northborough, Mass., is a maker of aerogel thermal insulation products used in military and industry applications and hydrocarbon technologies.