Industry News

Ardent Pharmaceuticals plans to develop 10,000 sf in Durham adjacent to 15,000 sf that Ardent relocated to last year from its Research Triangle Institute location. Development awaits completion of an upcoming round of clinical trials and could begin as early as July. Ardent, formerly Delta Pharmaceuticals, manufactures chronic pain medication and is expecting to employ 48 workers by early 2003.   

Telecommunications firm Ericsson has awarded Advantis Real Estate Services the contract to provide strategic facilities planning, technical support, and full-service facilities maintenance for its new Raleigh campus.   

Bayer is considering both Research Triangle Park and Kansas City, Mo., as potential expansion locations. RTP has offered the merged operations of Bayer and Aventis CropScience a strong package to locate its American headquarters in the Triangle. Bayer currently has manufacturing and toxicology facilities in Kansas City and employs 1300 workers in those facilities and in facilities across the Missouri River in Stilwell and Shawnee, Kan. The efficiency of having all functions centrally located in Kansas City could affect Bayer's decision.

Clayton College & State University will initiate the second phase of construction on its Clayton Place student dormitory and apartment project in April 2002. Developed by Place Properties LLC, the 11-acre, seven-building, 116-unit expansion of Clayton Place adds 430 beds and is slated to open in 2003. The first phase included a three-story apartment complex housing one- and two-bedroom apartments with student activity centers, exercise facilities, swimming pools, and game rooms.

Suntory Water Group of Atlanta is consolidating regional call centers with a move to the planned Tanners Creek project in Flowery Branch, Ga. Suntory will be occupying 20,000 sf of the 2,000,000-sf, 150-acre mixed-use development which features fiber-optic cable technology and includes office, hotel, retail, and restaurant facilities.