Industry News

Paul Ecke Agricultural Research Park, a 125,000-sf research facility for agricultural biotechnology companies, is seeking a major use permit from the Encinitas Planning Commission. If approved, construction would begin with a 50,000-sf laboratory building on a ten-acre site adjacent to the Ecke poinsettia ranch. San Diego, Calif.-based McGraw/Baldwin Architects Inc. designed the facility. Greenhouses are also planned for the site and all lab buildings will have greenhouse windows.

Sprint's new 4,000,000-sf, 22-building corporate campus for 14,400 Sprint employees is under construction. It is the largest office building in the U.S., according to the designer, The Hillier Group Architects, of Princeton, N.J. Completion is anticipated in 2002.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board has finalized to new accessibility guidelines. These new advisory guidelines will assist the Department of Transportation and the Department of Justice in establishing new accessibility standards for: 1) Judicial, Legislative, and Regulatory Facilities; 2) Detention and Correctional Facilities; 3) Accessible Residential Housing; and 4) Public Rights-of-Way. For additional information visit http://www.access-board.gov/rules/title2.htm or call (800) 872- 2253 ext. 27.

Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., based in White Plains, N.Y., is planning a $40-million office project on a 2.45-acre site at Contra Costa Centre in Walnut Creek. A seven-story, 195,000-sf office structure is envisioned for the property, including 15,000 sf of retail space and a parking structure for 567 cars. Developer of the site will be Thomas Properties of Walnut Creek, owner of the business park.

Emory University has completed construction of its new Cherry Logan Emerson Hall, an 80,000-sf facility designed by Cooper Carry Inc. to house chemistry labs. R.J. Griffin is the contractor for the five-story building, which will connect to a building recently renovated by R.J. Griffin, the Sanford S. Atwood Chemistry Center.