Industry News

Military and heavy trucking manufacturer Accuride Corp. will relocate to 14,250-sf in Wixom, Mich, in July of 2008. The facility will house sales, R&D, and administrative operations previously based in Northville. Accuride will continue to occupy its 90,000-sf production facility in Taylor, Michigan.

Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) will merge with The Staubach Company in the third quarter of 2008. The agreement will enhance JLL’s global service platform with Staubach’s tenant representation expertise. JLL will acquire The Staubach Co. for a total cost of $614 million and the combined operation will operate under the Jones Lang LaSalle name.

NASA is constructing the $40 million, five-story Research and Development Administration Building at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The 120,000-sf facility is funded by the state of Louisiana through the University of New Orleans Research & Technical Foundation and the Louisiana Office of Economic Development as part of a long-term partnership agreement with NASA. It will contain administrative offices, a conference center, and collaborative R&D space for partner organizations including the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing.

The University of Alabama is planning to construct the 63,000-sf Capstone College of Nursing in Tuscaloosa. The $20 million, three-story facility will create a new gateway to the campus. The project manager is Hoar Construction.

The Skidaway Institute of Oceanography is building the Marine and Coastal Science Research and Instructional Center (MCSRIC) on Skidaway Island, Ga. The project broke ground in December of 2007 and will house 11,000-sf of research laboratories, space for visiting scientists, and instructional space for University System of Georgia marine science students. LEED certification for sustainable design will be sought for the facility, which is slated for completion in spring of 2009.