Industry News

The Austin office of White Construction Co. has been awarded the $20-million contract to build a new detention center in Lea County, New Mexico. Construction of the 432-bed center is expected to begin in June 2003 with completion in June 2004.

The new 200,000-sf headquarters of IBM Tivoli Systems in Austin, Texas, has achieved LEED certification, distinguishing itself as one of the nation's most environmentally progressive facilities. Designed by the Houston office of Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK), the office building opened in January 2002 and is the workplace for 750 Tivoli employees. The facility includes office space, a visitor's center, software development labs, an employee gathering area and structured parking.

The Montgomery County Department of Economic Development expects to break ground on the $2.5-million Silver Spring Innovation Center in summer of 2003. The free-standing 20,000-sf Silver Spring business incubator will house 12 to 15 companies. The facility will be ready for occupancy approximately six months after construction begins.

Rutgers University School of Business at Camden is working with the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology and the Delaware River Port Authority to create a non-profit business incubator in 20,000 sf of the former West Jersey Hospital in downtown Camden. The incubator is housed on the fifth floor of the five-building, 270,000-sf hospital complex. Former patient rooms were renovated to create 35 high-tech suites of 250 sf each which can be doubled to 500 sf.

Enplas Inc., a Japan-based manufacturer of plastic parts and products, plans to expand its operations with the $2.3-million purchase of a 47,000-sf office building in Georgia. The facility was previously used as a multi-tenant office/warehouse.