Industry News

Andrx Corp. paid a Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. affiliate company $28-million for a 500,000-sf manufacturing facility in Morrisville. Over the next five years Andrx will engage in a complete renovation and re-equipping of the building estimated to cost $85-million.  

Melrose-Wakefield Hospital has opened a state-of-the-art, expanded endoscopy suite in Melrose, Mass.  The $2-million facility includes 5 procedure rooms and 14 admitting/recovery rooms.

Seton Healthcare Network is planning medical offices comprising over 100,000 sf to be constructed adjacent to its planned $70-million, 451,000-sf children's hospital in Northeast Austin. The offices, estimated to cost $30-million, will be financed and built by a private developer. The two facilities are Seton's newest medical campus and will deliver in January 2007. The project is sited on 28 acres and includes a parking garage. Seton will solicit construction bids for the development in spring 2003.

State Farm Insurance is consolidating 66 California claims processing centers down to 20, closing centers in Pleasant Hill, Santa Rosa, Burlingame, San Francisco, Pacific, Marin and Richmond. State Farm will centralize operations in Emeryville, Calif., with the lease of an additional 16,000 sf in EmeryTech, bringing its occupancy in the development up to 60,000 sf through 2009.

GKN Aerospace has completed its $5.7-million corporate headquarters in St. Louis. The $5.7-million phased demolition and renovation project entailed major demo work of 38,000-sf of a former manufacturing structure, creating executive offices, conference centers, new lobby areas and a new entrance. The facility was designed by Fox Architects of St. Louis and built by contractor McCarthy.