Industry News

North Carolina State University is developing the 1,334-acre Centennial Campus in Raleigh, N.C., a mixed-use "technopolis" of university, corporate and government R&D facilities. With 1.3 million sf built in 16 major building modules, the Centennial Campus will also include a town center, business incubators, housing, and an executive conference center and hotel. The campus is comprised of the 1,120-acre Centennial Campus and the 214-acre Centennial Biomedical Campus.

Durham, N.C.-based Trimeris is considering the purchase of 40 acres of land in Research Triangle Park to consolidate its operations in a campus-like setting. Trimeris, developer of a potentially successful AIDS treatment, has already selected a developer to plan the project.

Harvard Medical School (HMS) has outsourced all engineering and trade functions for mechanical systems maintenance to UNICCO Service Company. Supported by an onsite 24x7 call center, the staff of almost 50, including electricians, mechanics, plumbers, carpenters and locksmiths maintains all building systems, including HVAC and utilities. UNICCO also handles light construction and special projects as required. The contract calls for UNICCO to provide several advanced services including:

Concord EFS, a leading electronic commerce provider, has acquired 27 acres of land for a new, state-of-the-art world headquarters campus. Construction will begin immediately on the 285,000-sf campus and is scheduled for completion in spring 2004. Almost 1,000 employees will be located at the new facility, consolidating the company's workforce from five Memphis locations into one. The executive offices, administrative functions, customer service operations, terminal deployment facilities, and high-tech data center will be located on site.

The University of Massachusetts is planning a $222.5-million student housing project on its Boston campus. Construction of the first $91.5-million, 900-bed phase could begin as early as summer of 2003. An additional $131 million would fund four more dormitories housing 1,100 students which could be completed by 2012. UMass Boston, currently perceived as a commuter school, hopes to attract more traditional students with the expansion. The project will require funding from state bonds, which have not yet been secured.