The 25-acre site, bordered by Quince Orchard Drive and Great Seneca Highway, will accommodate a facility of up to 750,000 sf. The new MedImmune campus will be constructed in three phases over the next several years: the first phase, a 210,000 sf campus, will include 60,000 sf of research and development space and a 150,000-sf administration building. A covered parking lot will also be included and will be designed to blend with the other buildings.

"Since its inception, MedImmune has enjoyed a great relationship with the State of Maryland, Montgomery County and the City of Gaithersburg, and we are delighted to be expanding our presence in this area," says Melvin D. Booth, MedImmune's president and chief operating officer.

Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendenning said MedImmune's decision to expand here shows the state's commitment to create a good environment for biotech research firms. "MedImmune is a global leader in the biotechnology and drug development industry, and we are pleased that they have chosen Montgomery County as their present and future home," says Glendenning.

Some of the financing for the MedImmune's expansion is being provided through state, county and local incentives, including a $2.5 million conditional grant from the state's Sunny Day Fund and a $500,000 grant grant from Montgomery County.

Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum Inc.'s Washington, DC office has a lengthy history in the design of headquarters and research facilities for corporations, and the federal government. Quadrangle Development Corp., headquartered in Washington, DC, has built or acquired 38 separate buildings totaling approximately 11.3 million sf over the last 30 years.