Industry News

Lockheed Martin opened the Huntsville Integrated Test Center (HIT) in March of 2011. Ground was broken on the 21,000-sf building in June of 2010. The facility houses testing laboratories for missile defense systems and includes two five-axis motion simulators with infrared scene generators. The general contractor was Joe Still Construction. A second phase of construction will provide laboratories for systems integration and missile integration.

Boeing began building a second avionics facility in Oklahoma City in March of 2011. The six-story, 320,000-sf building is slated for occupancy in mid-2012. The design-build contractor for the facility is Gardner Tanenbaum Group. Boeing is headquartered in St. Louis.

Auburn University broke ground on the $6.3 million Poultry and Animal Nutrition Center on March 30, 2011. The facility will support teaching and research in feed science, technology, and manufacturing. The feed mill will be constructed using a modular design. Completion is expected in December of 2011.

Mercy St. John's broke ground on a $105 million orthopedic hospital on March 30, 2011. Located in Springfield, Mo., the 27,970-sf facility will provide 64 exam rooms and 48 inpatient beds. The general contractor for the project is McCarthy Building Companies of St. Louis. Completion is expected in mid-2013.

Colorado State University broke ground on the $64 million Engineering II facility in Fort Collins in March of 2011. The 122,000-sf building will house laboratories arranged in research pods for maximum collaboration between students and faculty. The facility will provide space for the College of Engineering and a 24-hour study atrium. Occupancy is expected in fall of 2013.