Industry News

Pfizer broke ground in late summer of 2007 on a $50 million expansion of the JJ Building in Chesterfield, Mo. The project will add 50,000 sf to the existing 60,000-sf facility to support increased production of biologic compounds. Completion is slated for late 2009. Pfizer is also constructing the 330,000-sf, $200 million New Research Building, a drug development facility, at the Chesterfield campus. Completion is expected in late 2008.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Amarillo is initiating three major construction projects totaling $33 million. Ground was broken in late summer of 2007 on the 48,000-sf, $18 million Coulter Research Building for biomedical and translational research. The School of Pharmacy will undergo an $8 million, 23,000-sf expansion to house administration, academic space, two 120-seat instructional classrooms, a 26-station instructional laboratory, and a patient simulation center for teaching and assessment. Construction will begin in early 2008.

Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is planning to invest $1 billion over the next 15 years to expand its facilities. At the Longwood Medical Area campus, over 550,000 sf of patient care space will be added, including operating rooms, clinical space, and 130 beds. A new suburban ambulatory care center will also be constructed. Estimated at between 100,000 sf and 150,000 sf, the facility will include primary and specialist care, ambulatory surgery, and radiology. 

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers is developing Proposed Standard 189.2, “Design, Construction and Operation of High-Performance Green Health Care Facilities.” Describing procedures, methods, and documentation requirements for sustainable health care facilities, the standard will be a code-intended baseline for efficiency and performance. It will apply to patient care areas and related support areas, including hospitals, nursing facilities and outpatient facilities.

The University of Chicago has appointed Laurence Hill as Associate Vice President for Research and for National Laboratories. The position was created due to a new University contract with Fermilab and will include responsibility for site office operations, University contract management, and board staffing for Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.